Can't Stop
by NumiTiarKuila
Summary: What if Tony had a childhood friend, who always saw the good in him? What if he despised her for things said in the past and put her on is blacklist? And what if Nick Fury had a plan to use that to his advantage?
1. Chapter 1

**Alright, so this is my first Iron Man fic. It's based in the movieverse mostly but some of my information does come from the comicverse as well. Takes place through Iron Man, Iron Man 2, and The Avengers, it revolves around Tony Stark so I thought it correct to place it under the Iron Man category. **

**Summary: What if Tony had a childhood friend, who always saw the good in him? What if he despised her for things said in the past and put her on is blacklist? And what if Nick Fury had a plan to use that to his advantage in provoke Iron Man to join his cause faster? Delve into Tony's past and see him before his life got turned upside down. TonyOC**

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The house was huge.

That was the only thought going through the little girls mind as her mother parked the car.

"Cassandra, come on." Her mother smiled at her through red puffy eyes.

Cassandra nodded and held her mother's hand as they walked up the steps to the house. They walked into the kitchen that smelt heavenly.

"Cassandra…" Her mother knelt down in front of her, "Sweetie I have to work ok. There's a table over there. You have your homework and your coloring book in your bag alright."

She nodded again and walked over to the table and sat down pulling out her things from her bag. She looked over at her mom as a beautiful woman walked over to her. The woman looked sad.

"Sarah what are you doing here?"

"Mrs. Stark…" Her mother started but choked up and looked down.

"Oh Sarah." Mrs. Stark hugged her, "We told you, you didn't have to come in."

"I need to work Mrs. Stark. Without Jeff…" Sarah wiped her tears away, "It's just me and Cassandra…I've got to work for her."

Mrs. Stark looked at the small girl sitting at the table twirling her black hair with her finger as she filled in a worksheet, then back to Sarah, "You're both welcome here and you know that."

"Thank you Mrs. Stark." Sarah nodded, "She'll stay in here and won't be a problem."

"Nonsense, Anthony is home from school for the summer. They're both eight, I'm sure they'll have fun together."

"I don't want her to be a bother."

"She won't be, Anthony needs a friend and I'm sure Cassandra could use one too right now." Mrs. Stark smiled.

Sarah looked over at Cassandra, "Yeah…"

Mrs. Stark smiled, "Don't worry, take your time Sarah. I don't know what I would do if I lost Howard. So if you need to cry we all understand."

Cassandra looked up as Mrs. Stark walked over to her. She sat down across from her, "You must be Cassandra." The girl nodded, "I'm Maria."

"You're my mom's boss." Cassandra fiddled with her pencil.

"Yes, I'm also her friend." She smiled, "Do you like flowers Cassandra?" She nodded, "Good, how would you like to help me and my son Anthony in the garden?"

Cassandra looked over at Sarah. Her mother nodded and smiled, "Ok."

Mrs. Stark stood up and held out her hand. They walked through the house to the back yard where plants waited to be planted.

"Mom, mom!" A boy ran over to them, "Look what I made." He held up something made of metal.

"What is it darling?" Maria smiled looking at it.

"Touch the top!" The boy said excitedly.

She touched the top of the trinket. The metal moved and blossomed into a metal flower, "Oh, look at that."

"It's a flower that won't die during the winter." He told her.

"It's wonderful darling thank you." She knelt down, "Look Cassandra."

Anthony looked at Cassandra finally noticing her, "Who this?"

"Tch, Anthony manners." His mother chided.

He sighed and stuck out his hand, "Tony Stark."

Cassandra looked his hand and took it, "Cassidy Voltolini."

He smiled, "It's a pleasure."

"Much better." His mother kissed his head, "And thank you for the flower. Now let's get to work on this garden."

They started working on it for a while then one of the maids came out with some lunch.

"Aren't you hungry Cassidy?" Mrs. Stark asked her noticing she'd only just pushed her food around with her fork.

She shook her head and put her fork down.

Tony looked at his mother watching her frown then to Cassidy, "It's really good."

"I'm not hungry!" Cassidy shouted getting up from the table and ran inside the house.

She ran and ran until she found a dark small place to hide. Slamming the door she curled up into a ball and cried.

"Daddy…" She repeated over and over hiccupping. She didn't know where she was but it smelled musty and like old sneakers. She sat up when she heard someone walking by. She shrank back against the wall when they stopped outside the door.

It opened slowly and Tony looked at her.

They stared at each other for a long time before he finally spoke, "Why are you crying?"

Cassidy sniffed and pulled her knees up to her chest not speaking.

"Is it because of your dad?" He watched as tears welled up in her eyes. He crawled into the closet that she'd found and shut the door.

She whimpered and felt an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him and cried, "I didn't get to say goodbye."

Tony frowned, "My mom said he fell." Cassidy nodded, "I'm sorry…"

They remained silent for a while, "You're mom's worried."

"She is?" Cassidy looked at him in the dark.

He nodded chewing on his bottom lip.

"Is she mad?"

He looked at her and smiled, "No. She's not mad. Come on." He took her by the hand opening the closet and pulled her out.

"Tony!"

"Can't talk mom, heading out!" The 15 year old ran for the door.

"Anthony Stark!" He halted and turned around.

She huffed and walked over to him, "I know you're excited to see your friend, but you've got to slow down."

"Mom it's just Cass." He told her, "I want to get over there help her with her homework and get to the 8 o'clock show."

"By helping her that means not doing it for her correct." She eyed her son.

"I would never in a million years mom." He smiled but his eyes held a glint.

"Uh huh, just be home by 11 ok." She kissed his head.

"11 will do." He turned and walked out the driver. It was his first day back from boarding school and thankfully they finally accepted the fact that they couldn't teach him anything anymore. He was free for a moment to just be 15.

They pulled up to an apartment building and Tony hopped out and ran inside. He got to the door and started ringing the door bell and knocking.

"Good god! Tony!" He heard through the door. It had been nine months since he'd seen Cassidy and he was ready to see his best friend again.

The door open and his mouth dropped open.

In front of him a girl in tight jeans and a blue t-shirt stood in front of him. She moved her long black hair from her face showing her sharp blue eyes. She smiled, "What? You gonna stand there or come in?"

"Cass?" he was staring at a certain part of her body that had 'blossomed'.

"Tony?" She walked away from the door.

He stared after her and shut the door, "uh you look…good."

She looked back at him giving him a weird look, "Thanks? How've you been?" She sat at the table picking up her pencil.

"Good, finally free." He walked over and looked at what she was working on, "Calc?"

"Yeah." She nodded working on the one of the problems.

"I could help you." He looked at the clock that said 7:15.

"I'm on the last problem." She looked at him.

"And you're doing it wrong." He told her.

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are." He smirked.

"No I'm not." She glared at him.

"Here let me show you." He started to take the pencil away from her.

She gripped it tightly, "I'm not doing it wrong, I'm doing it the long way."

"But there are faster more efficient ways." He told her still holding onto the pencil.

"Yes but that's not what my teacher asked for." She tugged on the pencil.

He tugged back smirking.

"Tony." She turned to look at him and was kissed. She pulled away startled looking at him.

He stared at her waiting for her reaction. He swallowed, "Uh…"

She leaned forward and kissed him. He kissed her back shutting his eyes. Suddenly she pulled away and put a hand to her mouth. Her face was red as she stood up and walked to the kitchen that was connected to the dining room.

"Cass?" He stood up straight looking at her as she turned on the sink, "Are you ok? Did I do something wrong?"

She picked up a glass and started to fill it and let out a huff, "No, you didn't do anything wrong Tony."

"Then what's wrong?" He watched her down the glass of water.

She looked at him tears starting to come to her eyes and smiled, "Tony I can't go out tonight. You should go to the movie though and tell me what happens later."

He looked at her confused and took a step toward her, "Cass…"

She stepped back from him putting the glass on the counter, "It's just I have a lot of homework and I really need to ace these classes." She looked at him, "I'm not a genius like you, you know."

He stopped and watched her put on a smile, "Cassidy…what a happened?"

"Nothing really." She walked up to him and hugged him, "It's good to have you back."

He hugged her becoming more and more confused and concerned.

"I only have a few more weeks of school; once I'm out I'll have all the time in the world." She pulled away and looked at him.

"Right. Yeah of course." He smiled, "Uh if you need help though seriously ask. Studying or anything."

"I will." She smiled and walked him to the door, "I'll see you around."

"Yeah." He nodded and walked out and back to his driver. He just went straight home.

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**Looking for some reviews on how to improve. If you can't say something constructive, then please keep it to yourself. Thanks for reading!**

**NTK**


	2. Chapter 2

**Again first Tony fic so please bare with me. Hoping you guys are liking it.** **Or at least intrigued. Own nothing!**

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Tony walked into the dark house and looked around. He couldn't get Cassidy out of his head. Something was wrong and it had to do with him.

"Anthony…" He tensed up at the deep sound of his father's voice.

He turned and looked at Howard Stark, "Yeah?"

"Where were you? We missed you at dinner." Howard took a swing of a brown liquid.

"I went out, to see a movie with Cass." Tony told him, "I told mom."

"Cass?" Howard walked toward him, "Is that, that girl you used to play with here?"

"Yeah." Tony he nodded. Even from here he could smell the whisky on his father.

His father smiled, "You should stay away from her and focus on your future."

"I'd like to think that I've done pretty well so far." Tony told him, "And Cass has been there the whole way."

"But you could be doing more."

"Like what?"

"Like working at the company, getting to know the ins and outs of things now." Howard put a hand on his son's shoulder, "Not hanging around some maid's daughter."

"What does it matter that she's Sarah's daughter? You know if it wasn't for Cassidy…"

"I don't care what was." His grip tightened, "You need to do what's best now."

Tony pulled away from him and started for the stairs.

"Don't walk away from me!"

"Dad I have done everything you've asked and more just let me have this one thing!" Tony turned and looked at him, "She's my best friend! This is the last summer I get to see her before I go to MIT."

"MIT?" His father looked at him.

"Yeah…" Tony pulled out a folded up envelope and threw it at him, "Got it a few weeks before I left school."

He watched his father picked up the worn paper and open it up, he smiled, "Well well…"

"Yeah…" Tony started back up the stairs.

"I'm proud of you son." His father told him as he continued to retreat.

"Whatever." Tony went to his room and changed and just went to bed.

"Tony…"

Tony rolled over and hugged his pillow more keeping his eyes closed.

"Tony…" he felt a cold wet hand on his arm.

His eyes fluttered open seeing a dark silhouette in front of him lightening struck. He jumped backwards falling off the bed, "Ah…"

"Tony!" He recognized the voice now, "Tony, are you alright?"

"Cass, how did you get in here?" He asked rubbing his arm in the dark.

"The window was open." She told him.

He stood up and reached for his lamp next to his bed, "The window?" He looked over at her and gasped, "Cassidy…oh my god what happened?"

Her lip was busted open and she had bruises forming on her face. He reached up to touch her, she winced, "What happened?"

"Jared." She didn't look at him.

"Your step dad?" He felt something in his chest start to burn.

She nodded, "I didn't have anywhere to go…"

He nodded and took her by the hand and led her to his bathroom. Once getting her sat down on the toilet he grabbed a towel and started to clean the cuts on her face.

"You can't tell my mom." She finally told him after a while.

"Cassidy." He looked at her.

"You can't. She doesn't know and she never has to know." She touched his arm, "He just has a short temper sometimes."

"It's not the first time?" He growled.

"Tony…please just…"

"Cassidy he can't do that to you." He stood up throwing the bloody towel in the sink, "He can't do that to anyone."

She stared at him then looked away.

"Your mom wouldn't want you to get hurt." He continued, "I don't want you to get hurt." He touched her bruised cheek.

She smiled at little shutting her eyes to stop from crying, "Thanks Tony." She took his hand and kissed his palm.

He felt his face get hot as he stared at her. His thumb wiped away a tear that escaped her blue eyes when they opened. He didn't like seeing her like this.

She smiled and stood up looking at him, "I mean it, you've always been there for me, even when we were little."

He smiled, "Had to be. Otherwise you probably wouldn't like me and I would've been alone."

"Yeah…I'm sure that's what it was." She stared into his eyes and touched his face, "I personally think it's because you have a good heart."

"Stark's don't have hearts, we have machines." He told her, "You should know that by now."

"I don't believe it for a second." She leaned up on her toes and kissed him.

Sweet bliss, that's all that Tony felt when she kissed him. Bliss that felt like hot water rushing through him.

He picked her up and set her on the counter continuing to relish every moment his mouth was on hers. Her fingers found the end of the shirt his was wearing and worked their way up his chest pulling it over his head making them part for a moment.

She smiled at him and pulled her own shirt over her head. She blushed when her face popped back out from behind the wet blue fabric.

Tony smiled looking at her and kissed her taking her hand in his and brought her into his bedroom.

It didn't take long for the two teenagers to figure out how to maneuver around clothing and sheets. Pain and pleasure followed by peace.

Cassidy stared at Tony her face was still red and her body ached, throbbing to the beat of her heart. His face was half buried in one of his plush pillows as he peered at her.

She smiled, "What are you thinking?"

He pushed the pillow under his chest propping himself up, "That was incredible. What about you?" he took her hand and kissed it, "I know…at first you…"

She blushed more It had been her first time, "It hurt but, it's fine now. It was as you put it incredible."

He beamed at her. He had never intended for any of this to happen but he was glad it did. Cassidy was his truest and only friend that he had. He had shared everything with her before, and now he was sharing everything with her in a different way.

"I should go…" She whispered.

He frowned, "You don't have to."

"I know but I need to get home so I can get ready for the day." She sat up holding the sheet to herself and looked around the room for her discarded clothes.

"Can I see you tonight?" He watched her crawl out of bed, "You still owe me a movie."

She smiled some, "We'll see."

"Cass…" She looked at him. His face was serious, "If you need me..."

She looked away and caught her reflection in the mirror and frowned, "I'm okay."

He got up and walked over to her, "Cassidy I mean it. I can pick you up anytime during the day."

She looked at him, "Just promise you won't tell my mom."

He sighed, "Cass you have to tell her."

"No I don't." She pulled on her pants and walked toward the bathroom to collect her shirt, "And I'm not going to."

"Cass…" he leaned against the door to the bathroom.

She turned around and looked at him, "Tony please don't ruin this night please." She put a hand on his chest, "Please…"

He looked at her and put his hand on hers, "Alright, but we're not done negotiating this."

She smiled and kissed him, "I'll call you."

"You better." He smiled and watched her walk from him to the window, "You know you can use the door."

"Not as fun." She winked and crawled out.

He ran to the window and watched her scale down the pipe that ran next to his window and drop to the ground. He smiled again and walked back to his bed and crawled in taking a deep breath of his pillow. It smelled like her, like flowers.

Flowers.

Tony Stark woke up in a cold sweat. He sat up putting a hand to his head. He looked down at his chest at the blue glow. He put his hand on the cold metal and got up. It was a new day.

He grabbed a drink and walked down the stairs to his workshop, "Jarvis."

"Good morning Mr. Stark. Shall I read you the headlines?" The robotic voice interface of the house spoke in response.

"No not interested today Jarvis. Any mail?" He punched in the key code and walked into the shop.

"No email, sir, but Miss Potts did have a small parcel delivered last night while you were out."

"Parcel?" He stopped and looked around, "I wasn't expecting anything was I?"

"No sir, this parcel arrived at your office downtown." Jarvis told him.

"Uh huh. Interesting." He finally found the parcel sitting on his desk. He picked it up. It wasn't large or heavy. He shook it and it didn't make a noise. He took a seat and looked at the schematics to his suit on the computer screen, "How it coming?"

"Full completion in ten minutes." Jarvis told him.

"Good, I have a feeling I'll be needing it soon. Let's start picking out some colors." He sniffed and started to open the package, "Can you throw the news on?"

"Of course sir." Jarvis put the news on the screen. It was your random tabloid junk. Followed by something that caught Tony's attention.

"Tonight's red-hot red carpet is right here at the Disney Concert Hall, where Tony Stark's third annual benefit for the Firefighter's Family Fund has become the place to be for L.A.'s high society."

"Did we get an invite for that?" Tony fingered the package.

"I have no record of an invitation, sir." Jarvis told him.

Tony chuckled and opened the package finally. It was a frame. He turned it around and frowned. It was a picture of him and his iron suit in front of him. It was hand drawn and unsigned.

He looked at the package for a return address, "Jarvis any idea where this came from?"

"No sir, would you like to open an investigation?"

"I would, someone has gotten into our systems and around you and into my servers. Tsk. Reinforce the fire walls." He got up and put the picture up against the wall, "But whoever it was has good taste in models and nice color scheme." He smirked, "I like it, copy, past it, but more of a hot rod red alright."

"Of course, sir."

He put the packaging on his work table and had it scanned for everything, "I'm going to take a shower inform me when that's done scanning, tux is still in the corner closet right?"

"Yes, sir. Of course sir."

Tony walked up the stairs and into the bright living room. He stopped for a moment and sighed looking around. This place was so empty.

He shrugged it off and took a drink. When did he get a drink? He shrugged that of too, he'd begun to realize that have a cup of alcohol was natural now.

He pulled off his shirt as he entered his room. Unaware that he was being watched.

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**Thoughts concerns? I know I jumped pretty fast, but I promise if you bear with me you will understand. This story will contain a lot of flash back scenes. Please review!**

**Thanks!**

**NTK**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for the reviews! I appreciate the 'ego' boost, haha. Anyways, things get get tense now, sooo whooo enjoy!**

**Own nothing!**

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Cassidy sighed watching the screen. Biting her lower lip she silently cursed and told herself to turn of the monitor.

"Observing are we?" She quickly tapped out of the screen to the desktop.

She turned to a smirking Nick Fury and smiled, "Just doing my job."

"And watching him undress and move about his house is contributing to what?" He gazed at her amused with his one eye.

"Well in order to convince someone to join a cause you have to know them pretty well. Sometimes that involves gifts." She explained.

"Trying to figure out what soap he uses?" Cassidy's face tinted red, "You already know Stark from growing up with him."

"I knew him…he's changed since I was 17." Cassidy corrected.

Fury looked at her, "He can't have changed that much."

She made a face and turned back to her monitor, "What do you want?"

"I need you to make contact with him." Nick watched her tense up.

"Can't Phil do it?" She picked up a pencil.

"I suppose, but I don't think he'd look good in an evening gown." He told her.

"Evening gown?" She looked at him, "You want me to go to that stupid party don't you?"

"Coulson will be there too, but he has his own agenda. We need you to talk to Tony convince him to keep his head down." Fury glanced at what she was working on.

"I don't have a dress. Can't go." She told him.

"Taken care by Hill." He told her, "We thought black would bring out your eyes."

She looked at him, "It's in half an hour across the country in our plane and it'll take me at least-"

"Plane's waiting with a crew to get you perfect." He told her.

"I'm not an agent. I'm not Natasha." She stared at him hard.

"We don't need a Natasha, we need a Cassandra. Tony Stark's long lost friend, the one he confided everything in." He leaned against her desk.

"He won't listen to me." She looked at the paper under her pencil, "I don't blame him."

"No one but you two know what was said that day after the funeral. It was one conversation I'm sure he's forgot-"

"He hasn't forgotten, believe me…he made sure he couldn't forget." She stood up, "I should get to that plane."

He looked down at a drawing of Tony Stark smiling, "And yet you still see something in a man who won't forgive you…" he looked up but she was gone.

Cassidy walked in the room with Agent Coulson, "I hate parties."

He smiled leading her inside, "Why's that?"

"They're suffocating. So many people, and usually they're all looking to gain something from someone else." She told him.

Coulson looked at her, "You only have to worry about gaining one thing from one person, and it's probably best if he doesn't see us together."

"Right." She smiled at him and fixed his tie, "Go gettum."

Agent Coulson smiled, "You look lovely tonight Miss Voltolini."

"Thank you Phil, see you soon hopefully." She gave him a nervous look.

"If you need anything, just call." He headed off into the party leaving her alone near the bar.

She chewed on her lip looking around the room. She hadn't been a part of this world in a long time, she was scared.

"Can I get you a drink ma'am?" The bartender smiled at her.

"Oh, no thank you, I don't drink." She smiled at him.

"Not even water?" He smirked.

'Oh god even the bartender…' She sighed, "Not at these parties." She turned around from him and looked at the crowd as she walked away from the bar. She just wanted to get this over with.

She waited a while near the entrance and saw his very attractive assistant Virginia 'Pepper' Potts walk in. Cassidy smiled admiring her dress and as if on cue and some random mind reading she turned and looked at Cassidy.

"Oh my god, that dress." Pepper smiled, "You're wearing the new Allen Schwartz."

"Uh yeah." Cassidy looked at the dress. She had no idea what that meant, "I guess? I'm not really sure I was just told 'you'll look fabulous in it' and to put it on."

"And you do." Pepper told her holding out her hand, "Virginia Potts."

"I know, you're Tony Starks assistant right?" Cassidy took it, "Cassandra Voltolini."

"Uh yes I am Mr. Starks P.A." She nodded she got a look on her face.

"You must be so happy to have him back." Cassidy kept the conversation going.

"It's a relief that's for sure." Pepper smiled, "Voltolini, that name sounds familiar."

"I made a healthy donation." That's what Mr. Fury told her, but she knew she was on Tony's black list of people he didn't want any contact with. Luckily there were a lot of names and all in alphabetical order, "And I was in town so I thought I'd drop by for a bit."

"Oh what are you in town for?" Pepper sure was inquisitive.

"You know meetings, boring events." She told her, "I work with designing vehicles for military purposes." Not a lie, but maybe not mentioning the name will get her an in.

"Really, what kind of vehicles?"

Cassidy looked at her and smiled, "Ones that will prevent incidents like Mr. Stark's from happening again." It was true she was one of the main engineers working on a large project with S.H.E.I.L.D. She came in late in the project but made some incredible improvements to their engines.

Pepper smiled, "I think Mr. Stark would be interested in saving lives and preventing attacks like that. Perhaps we could set something up and you can toss some ideas back and forth. God knows he could use something to get his mind on."

Cassidy looked at her letting her face slip to concern, "I heard he's taking it hard still."

Pepper nodded and started to explain how he'd been obsessing on some sort of project. That's when Cassidy saw him enter the building. Her heart stopped and she looked down at her feet.

"Are you okay?" Pepper touched her arm.

"Uh yes, will you excuse me?" Cassidy turned and started walking away.

"Oh okay." Pepper stood there confused.

Cassidy made it to a corner and turned around. It was like the air was sucked from the room. She took a deep breath try to stop her limbs from shaking off her body.

She turned around and saw Tony leading Pepper to the dance floor and watched them.

Tony smiled at Pepper, "But I could fire you if that would take the edge off."

"I actually don't think that you could tie your shoes without me." She smiled back up at him.

"I'd make it a week." Tony looked around the dance floor nonchalantly when a women in the corner caught his attention, " Sure."

"Really?" Pepper sounded unsure. "What's your Social Security number?"

Tony swung her around to find the woman again and stared at her blue eyes intently, "Five." He glanced back at Pepper.

"Five?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Right." He looked back to the corner just in time to see the woman smile at him and wipe a tear away quickly.

"Right." Pepper glanced to where he was looking, "You're missing just a couple of digits there."

He turned his attention to Pepper again, "The other eight? I got you for the other eight." He looked back to the corner his heart was thumping against his chest, but she was gone. He made a face and looked at Pepper again, "How about a little air?"

"Yes, I need some air." Pepper nodded.

As they walked out Tony searched the room for her, but wasn't able to locate her. But he knew it was her, it had to be.

Cassidy ran as best as she could out of the event.

"Miss Voltolini! Cassidy!" Agent Coulson ran to catch up with her, "What happened are you alright?"

"I couldn't do it." She shook her head tears rolling down her face, "I couldn't do it. It's been over twenty years and I saw him and I couldn't and then he saw me and I just I broke and I couldn't take it I just…" She kept rambling.

"It's okay. It's okay." Coulson touched her arms trying to get her to calm down, "You're fine, just breathe. Deep breath." He could see it wasn't helping so finally he took her into his arms and let her cry.

"I'm so sorry…" She finally said letting him go, "I'm sorry…"

"It's okay, you're not an agent, you weren't trained for this." He told her, "Let's just get you back to base."

"Fury's gonna kill me, isn't he?" She walked with him to the valet and waited for the car.

"Don't bet on it." Coulson smiled.

Tony got home that night disgruntled and ready to work. He dropped his coat in the hall followed by a bowtie, the shoes and everything else. He always left a pair sweats down in the shop. He pulled them on and sat down at his work station.

"Jarvis…"

"Yes sir?"

"Can you run a facial recognition on people at the party?" Tony poured himself a large scotch.

"I can sir, though it will take some time. Who are we looking for?" Jarvis started working his way into the concert hall's security footage.

"Cassandra Voltolini." He stared into his glass that once again magically appeared in his hand. A file of Cassidy popped up on the screen. Tony stared at the photo of her and him. They had been happy back then.

It had been taken while he was at college. She'd come to visit him as a surprise.

"Pay close attention to the glare caught in the eyes of the subject. That's what is going to give you the depth you want."

Tony sighed as his instructor continued to tell them how to draw a face. It wasn't that he didn't like drawing, he just like drawing blue prints more than faces.

"Psst. Tony." He woke up some and looked around for who whispered his name, "Left." He looked to his left and sat up in surprise seeing Cass in the doorway.

She smiled and waved at him.

He gathered up his things quietly and got up leaving, "Cassidy? What are you doing here?"

"I'd thought I'd surprise you." She smiled and hugged him.

He hugged her back taking a deep breath of her hair, "I should really be asking how you got here."

"Bus and a cab." She looked at him.

He looked at her, "I'm not complaining this is already becoming the highlight of my week, but how did afford this?"

"I got a job and saved up." She told him, "I work at Wally World."

He laughed, "You hate that place."

"The only place that would take me." She told him, "But I'm starving so you can buy lunch."

He ended up showing her around town for the rest of the day. They were inseparable at the time. Who knew a few years he'd find out what type of person she really was.

"Sir I have a match." Jarvis told him bringing back to the now.

"Pull it up." Tony told him. Sure enough it was her. He felt his chest tighten up and his nose flare up. "See if you can find any information as to why she's in town."

"Of course sir."

He turned around and saw the brown package, "Anything on this?"

"No sir." Jarvis told him.

"Alright give me the arms, I want them to be a tight fit, I'll adjust them manually." Tony walked over to the suit and started dismantling the arm.

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**Okay sooo, I feel unsatisfied slightly with this chapter, let me know how you feel. Thanks!**

**NTK**


	4. Chapter 4

**Yay! Iron Man! I finally got a good copy today and it's the special edition one whoo! So a lot of Cassidy in this one just fair warning. Working to actually get to the point where they're in the same room together you know.**

**Own nothing!**

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Fury walked into the engine room near the turbine. He looked at everyone giving them the sign to clear out. Finally it was just him and Cassidy.

"I told Phil you were going to kill me, but he didn't listen." She said as she looked at a bunch of wires.

"What's wrong with it?" Fury asked.

"It's running too hot figured if I can get in here and transfer some of the power into a secondary grid we'll be fine until we land and I can get everything I need for a bigger panel." She came up for air and looked at him, "But this isn't why you're here."

"No it's not and I'm not going to kill you." He shook his head, "You're too good at what you do to be lost."

"Oh well that's a bit of a relief." She stood up putting her tools away.

"What I wanted to talk to you about was what happened at the party." He watched her, "You didn't do what we wanted in fact quite the opposite."

"Sir…"

"It's fine, we think you instigated something much more to our use." He told her.

"I did? Didn't know blubbering all over a thousand dollar dress did that, but ok." She turned to him, "What did I do?"

"You gave him rage, just a little flame enough that if he sees you it might push him over the edge to find out why we chose you over him." He crossed his arms over his chest.

"Uh huh, so I've become bait." She nodded and started clicking on a keyboard.

"I'm sure you're aware of the incident that happen and the press conference. Agent Coulson has his foot in the door, now it's my turn." He told her.

"Ah yes his complete and utter egotistical self-righteous I'm a badass moment, 'I am Iron Man'." She mimicked Tony and rolled her eyes, "So like him, but still not seeing where I come in."

Fury sighed, "For now nothing, but when the time comes everything."

Cassidy tensed, "When you say everything…" She turned back to him.

"To a degree. Hopefully won't have to come to it at all." He told her.

"So I'm officially stuck here, until you need me…fantastic. You're lucky I like the pay and the toys." She turned back to the computer, "He's been checking in on me, still is. He won't find anything though will he?"

"Not unless you want him too." He stepped up next to her.

She sighed, "I've been avoiding him for over twenty years, and then four months ago my world crumbled when they said he was missing in war zone."

"I know I read the file. What you did, considering the circumstances, he should be greatful." He told her, "Something is coming, we got a hint of it back with the Captain, we just don't know when it's coming."

She looked at him and pulled back her black hair, "Fine, but I want access to everything I need. I won't be responsible for this tin bucket crashing."

"Tin bucket, this is not a tin bucket." Nick Fury was very proud of his moving air base.

"Yeah, see, you asked me to spy on Tony Stark." She smirked, "And he has technology that isn't integrated into this place. Let me remodel please, it'll give me something to do, please. I'll start with bridge; I promise you'll like it." She pleaded.

He shook his head, "I want plans first then we'll talk."

"I just sent you an email."

He rolled his eye, "I'll look at them and talk them over with the big wigs."

"Alright, till then I'll continue with…the tin bucket." She turned back to the mess of wires in the panel.

Tony looked at everything on his screens, "This is ridiculous."

"What is?" Pepper was looking through some paper work.

"I am off the grid, there are literally no headlines about me anywhere." He told her, "You know what this means?"

"That you finally grew up some and are not flying around in a suit of armor getting shot at?" Pepper rambled off.

Tony didn't listen, "I need to throw a party a big one, huge!" He told her.

She sighed and shook her head.

"And I know where I'm going to do it too, well the start of it at least." He smirked, "The expo."

"Oh no Tony, you can't…" Pepper looked at him finally, "This is too important for you…"

"I'm gonna set it up right now, Jarvis."

"Jarvis don't listen to him." Pepper stood up, "Tony seriously."

"I want to have fun alright. It's been three months since everything happened and I want a party." He started walking away from her to his workshop, "Is that so hard to ask?"

"For you yes, don't you remember Dubai?" Pepper crossed her arms.

"Uh actually I don't." He smirked.

"Exactly!" He chuckled going down the stairs. He keyed in the code and watched the automated lights switch on. After everything that had happened he had taken Agent Coulson's and Mr. Fury's advice and laid low, but he was getting restless.

He clicked open a few files and looked at them. He'd been making some minor improvements to the suit but nothing drastic. There wasn't much he could do yet. So instead he invested sometime in revisiting his father's idea, the 'Stark Expo'. Once again though it could only do so much and it involved meeting with people he didn't care for.

"Sir my new firewalls are detecting that someone is accessing your personal files." Jarvis spoke in his sophisticated tone.

"What? Can you trace it?" Tony started clicking on the keyboard. Whoever was getting into his system was good.

"Sir they're accessing you medical files."

"Stop them!" Tony shouted at Jarvis, "Or at least delay them enough that I can get into their systems."

He watched his screen go black. He scowled.

"Why the long face?" Appeared on his screen.

"Oh you son of a…"

"Language." Appeared.

"Really Jarvis! What do I pay you for?" Tony shouted and looked back at the screen, "Alright so you can hear and see me right?"

"Correct."

"What do you want?" Tony leaned back and waited for a reply. When nothing came, "Alright then, so you want information on my health, so I'll tell you about it, I'm just fine. However I am very pissed off. So when I figure out who this is, I'm gonna find you and you're gonna regret everything."

"I already do." Cassidy stared at him in the screen, she sighed and typed, "Goodbye Mister Stark."

She'd gotten the information that she needed about how the arc reactor in his chest was starting to affect him. It was poisoning him. It was slow going but from what she could tell it would progress the longer he had it in him.

"Oh Tony." She watched him get angry and start throwing things around, "I promise I'll help you, just hold on okay."

She gave the findings to Fury. He sighed and looked at her, "Can you fix it?"

"It'll take time, I'll need access to all the arc reactor information. What I have from Stark Industries and Tony's personal files is a good start but if you have ways to get me more…" she looked at him.

"I'll give you everything from Howard's work." Fury told her, "If I need Stark in the future, I'll need him alive."

Cassidy nodded not liking how he said that. It made it seem like he was considering Tony a lost cause.

"Is there something else Miss Voltolini?" Fury looked at her intently.

"Yeah, don't count him out yet." She turned walking out of his office.

Fury smirked shaking his head and pulled out his phone, "Agent Romanoff, I have a job for you."

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**Thanks for reading you guys are great!**

**NTK**


	5. Chapter 5

**Not much to say about this chapter, just a little peek into the past, hope you enjoy it!**

**Own nothing!**

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Cassidy reached for her coffee cup and took a sip but found that it was empty. It'd been a month since she started working on Tony's problem, while he went around the world saving it and playing the playboy. She sighed and got up to go to the coffee pot. It was empty. She let it fall to the desk with a clank.

"Problems ma'am?"

She looked over and smiled, "Hi Mr. Rogers."

"Please call me Steve." He smiled at her and walked over to her slowly.

"How you feeling? Those sleeping pills working?" She put her cup in the sink.

"I haven't given them a chance." He told her. When he'd gotten out and into the city Fury explained everything to him, "Seventy years is a long time. Still trying to get my head around that."

"I can imagine that it's not easy, when just yesterday you were leading men into battle." She wiped a hand over her face, "Hey I thought they set you up some place off of the ground base."

"Oh they did ma'am, they asked me back to ask the same question that you just did." Steve told her. He watched her rinse the cup over and over in the sink. When they brought him back that first day everyone was treating him like a patient, like something fragile that would collapse at any moment.

But she didn't. He was eating lunch and she just sat down and started eating with him. She smiled and said, "So you're the Captain, heard stories about you, you look a lot better than I pictured. Then again Mr. Stark did like to spin tales."

"Ma'am, oh please, if I can call you Steve you can call me Cassidy." She told him.

"Cassidy…"He smiled, "They asked me to check on you."

She stopped and looked at him, "Ah I see. Well you can tell them that everything is just peachy."

"They wanted me to act like it was just a casual visit, but I don't think it's right to lie to a lady." Steve stood up and took the cup from her.

"Mmm, let me give you some advice Steve." She told him, "Never stop a woman from cleaning, it's a relaxer for us. Well at least for me."

"Yeah they said you might be stressed, working on something big." He handed the very clean cup back to her.

"They didn't tell you what?" She smirked.

"They said it had to do with a project that Mr. Stark worked on." He crossed his arms, "They also said you won't open the box."

She put the cup down and sighed heavily, "Howard Stark…I'm trying very hard to not open that box, only thing I've come up with it is lithium dioxide and I didn't even come up with that I just confirmed it." She glanced over at the box on the table next to her work station.

Steve looked at the box then at her, "What's inside can't be that bad if it'll help right?"

"You didn't know Howard Stark." She looked at him.

"I knew Howard." He told her.

"No you knew him at the beginning." She told him, "You didn't know him after."

Steve frowned, "What do you mean?"

She sighed and took a seat, "He was brilliant, we know that. Smart, crazy smart. Could turn a toaster into a small toy plane."

"And that was fine, but then he just became obsessed with finding the newest technology, pushing the limits, building the future of tomorrow." She continued, "It took a toll on him and he started drinking. A lot. It got bad."

Steve watched her face get hard as she went on, "One night when I was ten, my mother was working late. Tony and I were playing hide and seek. Normally the house was free game, you could go anywhere. Well I happened to walk in on good old Howard and Tony."

"His father was obviously drunk and the things he said to Tony." She teared up and sniffed them back biting her lips, "'Worthless' 'unworthy' 'stupid' 'never amount to anything', well Tony was my best friend I couldn't let someone talk to him like that. So little me walked right up to him and pushed him away and said…"

"Apologize!"

Howard looked at the little girl in front him, "What?"

Her little voice wavered, "I…I said apologize!"

"Cassidy don't…" Tony whispered looking at the ground.

"Tony's the smartest kid in the entire world!" Cassidy shouted, "You can't talk to him like that!"

"I'm his father you little brat!" Howard grabbed her arm and started to pull her roughly to the door. He was obviously hurting her as he dragged her along.

"Let her go!" Tony shouted and tried to help her.

Howard pushed his son away throwing him into a lamp that crashed to the floor.

"Tony!" Cassidy shouted as she was thrown out and had the door slammed in her face. She pounded on the door, "Tony!"

"I don't know what happened behind that door, but I know it wasn't good." She wiped tears from her face, "That's the Howard Stark I knew. The one I hated."

Steve looked at her, "I never…"

"No one did. Maria loved him so much that she looked over his faults. To the public he was a hero and realistically he was a good man." She told Steve, "Never cheated, took care of his family, took care of his country, how he managed it in between was wrong though."

Steve looked at his hands, "I guess that's a good reason to not open the box."

She stared at the box then got up and walked over to a computer and pulled up the most recent medical history of Tony. The toxicity in his blood was to a critical level.

She turned and walked to the box and put her hands on it and looked at Steve, "You're gonna have to leave. It could get ugly in here."

36 hours later Fury walked into Cassidy's private quarters. She was at her desk working on another one of her artistic pieces.

"He's having a party." She told him, "Forgot to send out his gift."

"I'm sure he'll forgive you if you save his life." He looked at the glowing arc reactor on her table. He walked toward it, "Is that it?"

She grabbed it and put it in his lap, "Yes but you can't have it."

"Now you're telling me that I can't give this to him to save his life and get him back into business." Fury looked at her, "I will just take it from you."

"No you won't because then he won't help you at all." She turned in her spinning chair to look up at him.

Fury sighed, "What do you mean?"

"You asked me to help to get Tony to work with you." She looked at the reactor in her hand "Give him the means. Give him his father's work and he'll figure it out on his own." She told him.

"But you've got it right now, why wouldn't we just give it to him."

"Because that's how he works, you give him something to help him and he finds it insulting. Help him a little." She held up a vile of lithium dioxide, "Then give him an idea, he'll gloat and be hooked."

"He might not have that much time." Fury told her.

She looked at the computer monitor and saw Tony making a fool out of himself blowing things up, "Mmm, after he falls tonight, it won't be hard to convince him."

Fury looked at the screen and frowned, "You're sure he can figure this out in time."

She smiled, "Tony Stark's IQ is ten points higher than mine. That makes him faster not smarter. Give him this" She put the vile in one of Fury's hands, "and he'll give you this in less than 24 hours." She put the reactor in his other hand.

"Faster not smarter?" Fury looked at the reactor in his hand.

"Proven, he has the ability to see things in his mind then put them into action. I on the other hand have to work everything out in a step by step process, usually by drawing and calculating then actually acting." She told him, "Tony just is able to do."

Fury looked at her and nodded turning to leave.

"Plus he really needs to talk to his dad." She looked at the molecule on a different monitor, "It'll be nice for them to catch up."

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**So just a warning there will be spoilers for The Avengers in the next few chapters. Letting you know now and later then currently.**

**Review please!**

**Thanks**

**NTK**


	6. Chapter 6

**READ ME OR PAY THE PRICE! WARNING WARNING WARNING READ READ READ**

**This is where it starts to take place in the new Avengers movie WARNING SPOILERS! I just wanted to let you know so I don't get hate mail. But finally some Tony Cassidy action! Whoo!**

**Own nothing!**

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Tony glanced at Agent 'Phil' Coulson and Pepper getting on the elevator and went back to his 'homework'.

He pulled up the tesseract. He'd seen this before somewhere in his father's work, which got him thinking. He smirked, "Jarvis run recognition on this face." He touched this so called god's face.

"How close of a recognition are you looking for sir?" Jarvis asked, "and on what scale?"

"Global scale, close as you can get." Tony told him flipping the image of the tesseract around in the air, "I have a feeling we find our god of mischief, we'll find our power source. But just on the safe side they are having Banner come in, I really got to meet him it's just too tempting."

"Sir are you insinuating that you're going to make him angry?"

"No, of course not, just going to talk and totally keep him stress free." Tony rambled off, "What kind of person do you think I am?"

"I was considered, what was it... volatile, self-centred, and I don't play well with others." Jarvis replayed Tony's own voice to him.

"Haha very funny." Tony rolled his eyes, "Keep it up I'll replace you with a sexy woman's voice."

"I'm sure Miss Potts will enjoy that." Jarvis told him.

Tony looked up, "Shut it, I have reading to do." He pulled up another file labeled 'thermonuclear astrophysics'.

It didn't take him long to figure things out and not much longer for Jarvis to locate Loki. After a brief encounter with Fabio and the star spangled banner he landed on S.H.E.I.L.D.'s moving base. He had to admit he was somewhat impressed.

Some of the technology resembled his own he noted as he walked onto the bridge, even had some flare to it.

Being the suave man that he was it wasn't hard to plant Jarvis on the computer.

Soon he and Banner where in a lab working together. "You really have got a lid on it, haven't you? What's your secret? Mellow jazz? Bongo drums? Huge bag of weed?"

"Is everything a joke to you?" Steve looked at him irritated.

"Funny things." Tony smirked.

"He finds everything funny Steve, don't take it personally." Tony felt his chest tighten at the sound of that voice. The sight made his face burn.

"Cassidy." Steve looked at her, "He just shocked…"

"I'm well aware." She smiled and looked at Tony, "Mr. Stark."

"What are you doing here?" Tony growled.

"I work here." She told him.

"Fury must be dead desperate then." Tony told them, "Because I wouldn't even consider you a choice even if I was dying."

She smiled and looked down, "Good to see you too."

"No it's not good!" Tony raised his voice.

"Mr. Stark you need to calm down." Steve pointed a finger at him.

"Stay out of this Cap, and especially away from her!" Tony shouted.

Cassidy put a hand on Steve's arm to stop him from walking over to Tony, "It's okay."

"Yeah it's okay." Tony spat out, "We have an unspoken agreement."

"Dr. Banner." Cassidy walked forward with a file, "This is everything asked for."

"Thank you Miss Voltolini." Bruce took the file and started to look at it.

"Of course let me know if you need anything else." She nodded and looked at Tony, "You know if you want to know what Fury keeps locked up." She threw a disc at him, "You usually just have to ask him." She turned and started out.

Tony looked at the disc then started to follow her out, "Oh you think you're so smart don't you?"

She stopped and turned to look at him, "I am smart Mr. Stark, just thought I'd let you actually work on the problem in front of you instead of worry about what Fury's hiding. Finding the tesseract is more…"

"Bullshit." Tony glared.

"Excuse me?" She looked at him confused.

"Mr. Stark I think you need to take a step back." Steve told him. "Cassidy is just trying to help."

"Cassidy, first name bases huh?" He stared into her eyes, "What'd you have to do to get that privilege?" Cassidy looked at Tony and then away, "That's right, know your place on the food chain."

She looked back at him, "God you're still such a little boy."

Tony's nose flared, "And you would know?"

"Well obviously you haven't grown up at all!" Cassidy told him, "I mean seriously, trying to insult my friendships and intelligence is beneath you."

"I'm not insulting you intelligence, I'm stating a fact." Tony told her, "You equate to nothing."

Steve was about to say something but Cassidy beat him to it, "Really?"

Tony nodded, "Yeah."

"Well then this 'nothing' will be taking its self and going someplace else." She turned looking at Steve blinking the tears back and walked out.

Once she was gone Steve looked at Tony, "That was uncalled for."

"No that was justified." Tony told him, "You don't know what happened, so stay out of it. Besides we have bigger things to worry about." He looked at the disc and threw it on the table, "Jarvis should be in the system now."

Once Cassidy was out of view she leaned against the wall and just let the tears slid down her face.

Natasha was walking by and saw her, "Cassidy?"

"Oh Nat…" She smiled, "How's it going?"

"A lot better then you I think. What happen?" Nat wasn't one for girlfriends, but when she 'worked' for Stark Industries Cassidy had given her some sound advice about Pepper which won her over after the birthday party incident. She felt like she owed Cassidy.

"Just the normal I suppose." Cassidy let out a half-hearted laugh, "Tony Stark sure is a visionary when he uses his words."

Natasha looked at her, "Got ugly?"

"Very." Cassidy looked at her, "I 'equate to nothing' apparently."

"You know that's not true." Natasha told her firmly, "Stark would be dead, what, three times over now if it wasn't for you?"

"He doesn't know that though." She told her, "He just thinks twenty five years ago I stabbed him in the back." She pushed off the wall, "I gotta go Fury wants me to check on the firewalls that Tony breaking through, shouldn't take long a few key strokes and it should be done, so if anyone needs me I'll be in the cafeteria with my keyboard."

Natasha watched the broken girl walk away. She on the other had turned on her heels and headed for the lab. She walked in and over to one of the computers.

"What are you doing?" Tony looked at her, "We need that on the screen it was on, if you need a computer you could go somewhere else."

"Actually we need to talk Stark, Dr. Banner please leave for a minute." Natasha turned around looking at Tony.

Banner exited quickly and Tony crossed his arms, "What?"

"You need to see something." She pulled up Cassandra Voltolini's file.

"I know about her thank you." Tony set his jaw, "Is this what we're talking about? Did she come crying to you to save her?" He popped a blueberry in his mouth.

"Actually she's taking the hits. She's letting you abuse her." Natasha told him, "She's pretty much accepting that you hate her, even though you owe her your life."

"I owe her nothing." He rolled his eyes.

"Really, you wanna know who actually found you in the desert that day." She played the video.

_"Rhodes we have to call it." The pilot told him._

"_Just a little longer." He told them._

"_We're entering a hostile zone…"_

"_I know that just keep looking." Rhodes looked into the camera, "You see anything on that thing of yours."_

_The camera panned down to a scanner that read off large signatures of energy, "Just the same thing. There was a spike about an hour ago."_

"_You're sure it's Tony." Rhodes spoke._

"_If there's anything I know about him, is he likes to make a big impression on people."_

"_Sir we got movement on the horizon. It's a man!"_

"_Rhodes." He looked at the camera again, "He can't know I'm here."_

_Rhodes nodded, "I understand. Thank you for finding him Miss Voltolini." He pulled a khaki scarf out of his pocket, "Put this on."_

_The next few frames were of the helicopter landing and collecting Tony. They got him on the helicopter. Tony looked around at all of them, "Thank you…thank you so much…" He looked in the camera and smiled tiredly, "Thank you."_

Natasha looked at Tony. His face was unreadable. "She also is the one who confirmed the lithium dioxide injection, and found that new element."

"No no, I discovered this with my father's help." Tony corrected her.

"Yeah second place to Tony Stark." She told him, "Fury had her working on this for months. She refused to open the box that belonged to your father for personal reasons, then finally she didn't have a choice and she did it."

"No see I worked 18 hrs-" Tony started.

"She worked 36 hours and told Fury that you needed the satisfaction of discovering yourself." She pulled up Cassidy's work.

Tony looked at the screen. It was an arc reactor but not his design.

"If you didn't make it in time, we would've plugged this into you ourselves." Natasha showed him, "And you need her help on this. So man up at least until we're done saving the world alright." She turned to leave.

"This doesn't change anything." Tony looked at her.

"Didn't expect it to." She told him, "But you should know that just because you hate her, doesn't mean that she hates you."

Tony looked back at the screen. He didn't like it. All these years she'd been right on his doorstop and he never knew. He started looking through the files of all her work and in the process he started to rediscover her.

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**Yay face to face contact finally! Please review if you have questions or comments!**

**Thanks!**

**NTK**


	7. Chapter 7

**AGAIN SPOILER ALERT! THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SENSITIVE MATERIAL FROM THE AVENGERS.**

**So please don't hate me.**

**Own nothing!**

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Bruce sat listening to Cassidy play around on the piano keyboard that she brought with her, "They said bring a tooth brush…"

She smiled, "Bruce seriously its fine, if you need something we can get it for you."

"You have got to be the mellowest person that I've ever met." He told her.

She laughed, "You're one to talk Mister I'm at peace with myself."

He smiled, "So, uh, what exactly happened between you and Stark, if I can ask."

"It's a long story." She frowned.

"Well I've got some time." He told her and tried reading her but wasn't very good at it.

"I…look you work really close with him and I don't want you to compromise the relationship that you have with him just because of something that happened in our past. I think I already did that with Steve and that's not good." She frowned.

"Yeah he did seem to come in slightly irritated." Bruce noted.

"Yeah…well Steve has really been my only friend through most of this, and with Fury pretty much making me look in on Tony 24/7." She stopped playing the piano and looked at Bruce, "He was the only one who would listen to me without telling me how important it was that I keep spying on Tony."

"Spying?" Bruce frowned.

"Yeah, Fury wanted an eye on him. Not that I needed to try hard. I had been keeping tabs on him since everything fell through between us and when I found out he'd been kidnapped I ran to go find him." She sighed, "My world crumbled that day."

"What do you mean?" Bruce set his chin on his hand.

"I mean a world without Tony Stark, is a dark world for me." She looked at him, "I'd do anything for him. Go to hell and back and all he'd have to do is just keep breathing."

"That's a lot of devotion for a man who really dislikes you." Bruce told him.

"Yeah…" She stood up, "I have to look into some things, I'll talk to you later."

"Thanks for playing for me." He told her.

"Anytime." She picked up the keyboard and started out into the hall. She walked into her private office and stopped when she saw him.

Tony was standing there with his back to her looking out the window, "You should get a bigger window."

She didn't say anything, so he turned and looked at her. She was holding the keyboard to her chest and biting her lip.

"So here's how I see it." He pulled a hand out of his pocket and swung it around, "We need each other right now. So I'm going to set our differences aside for the remainder of this endeavor."

"That's very big of you." She spoke, "Becoming more like your father every day."

"At one time that wasn't a good thing." He moved in front of her.

She hugged the piano more when he was closer, "Things change when the truth is revealed."

Tony looked into her eyes and swallowed, "Really?"

"Really." She moved past him and set down the keyboard.

"So are we gonna play nice?" He asked without turning around.

"I never stopped playing nice." She told him.

He looked back at her and scoffed.

"Tony I never asked for this alright." She looked at him, "I only did this to help you."

"Why?" He turned to her fully, "Who said I wanted help?"

"Tony you always need help." She told him and before he could say anything, "Look at your life, you've had maids, and P.A.s and Pepper Potts the whole time. When they couldn't be there I tried to be."

"Well I don't want your help." He told her, "Not anymore, not after this."

"…fine…" She turned from him.

"Good." He told her.

She grabbed her tablet, "Good."

"Let's get to it." He told her.

"Let's get to it." She repeated him and started for the door.

"What are you going to repeat me from now on?" he followed her out.

"Nope." She turned down a hall that didn't lead to his and Banner's lab.

"Where are you going?" He watched her.

She stopped, "I have work to do. That doesn't involve the tesseract."

"I thought it took precedent?" He asked her.

"It does in your department." She looked at him, "See I make this boat run. Most of it has been remodeled by me and right now I have a turbine to work on. So go play hero alright." She turned again and started walking away, "If you need anything Mr. Stark don't hesitate to ask."

He watched her walk away and tilted his head.

"Stop looking at my ass!" She shouted.

"I wasn't!" He shouted back somewhat embarrassed that she knew. He looked away then back after her again.

"Really…really…" Cassidy was mumbling to herself, "Oh I'm Tony Stark billionaire play boy mir mir mir…"

"Hello there." She stopped and looked to her left.

"Oh god how did I get here?" She whispered looking at Loki.

"Anger is a very powerful emotion." Loki smiled at her.

"I was on my way to the turbine not here." She started to back out of the room that held him.

"It's easy to direct the angry and make them do what you want." There was a loud boom followed by shaking.

"Right…" She caught her balance and turned right into Loki.

"I love this trick everyone falls for it." He put a hand on her face. Her eyes got wide, "Oh fear…something else I'm incredibly fond of." Some men in uniforms came in behind him, "You know how to get into Stark Industries…I think I'll have use of you." He put her in the hands of the men, "Take her to the ship I'll be their shortly."

Cassidy was being dragged down the hall screaming as they went. Finally one of the guys hit her and put her over their shoulder. They hustled down the hall.

Dizzy she lifted her head and saw the Iron Man suit land in the hall, "Tony…" She reached out for him, "Tony!"

The eyes lit up and looked over at her. Blood was trickling down her face, "Cassidy…" He started to get up, "Cap'n they got Cassidy."

"On it!" Steve jumped over and took off running down the hall.

Cassidy started to struggle again kicking and hitting the man who was holding her. She screamed as loud as she could in their ear making them stumble.

Out of nowhere the Captain's shield slammed into the back of the man's legs making him crumple to the floor on top of Cassidy.

Cassidy hit him on the shoulders and the Captain pulled him off her throwing him down the hall. He looked down at her, "You alright?" She nodded, "Get behind me." He pulled her up.

Tony got to the hall to see the Cap'n put Cassidy out of harm's way. More of Loki's goons piled into the hall in between him and them, "I don't think so." He walked up to each of the guards and pushed them out of the way knocking them out.

He turned around putting up his hands up for anymore enemies, "You alright Cass?"

She looked at the back of his head her heart stopped, "Y…yeah."

He looked back at her, "Stay with me alright. Cap'n you got our back?"

"Yeah go!" Steve shouted.

They worked their way through the mess and got someplace where they could stop and sit down.

Steve looked kept watch up high and watched Tony take off his helmet and go to Cassidy.

"Here let me take a look at that." He reached out to touch her face.

She looked at him then his hands which were cast in metal, "Just don't crush my head or blow it off."

He smirked, "I would never." He started inspecting the bruise.

"Ow…" She winced.

"That hurt?" He looked into her eyes, she nodded, "Sorry."

"You're fine." Cassidy smiled a little, "Thank you…both of you." She looked up at Steve.

"Don't move." Tony told her.

"Sorry…" She looked back at him.

"And you're welcome by the way…it's what we do right?" Tony said somewhat nonchalantly.

"Quiet." Steve put his hand to his ear as reports started coming in.

"What is it?" Cassidy looked up Steve again and that's when Tony noticed it.

"Isn't your ear piece working?" He tapped her ear.

She looked at him, "What?"

"Your ear piece."

She stared at him then a smirk appeared on her face, "Very good Mr. Stark." She stood up, "I thought I could've played with you a little longer and you." She looked at Steve, "You both care about this girl deeply so making you see what you wanted was easy." Her image shifted to that of Loki.

"Where is she?" Tony glared at him.

"Far from the likes of you, but don't worry she's quite comfortable and her mind is fascinating." Loki smirked, "Completely screwed up because of you that's for sure, but by the time you find her she'll be a completely different woman I can guarantee that."

"You touch her I will-" Tony started.

"I'm touching her right now and you're doing nothing." Loki smiled, "You gentlemen have a good day." He vanished.

"Gah!" Tony yelled and punched the wall.

"Agent Coulson is down." Fury's voice rang through their ear pieces.

* * *

**I cried. I admit it. Then I got very angry. Rest in peace Agent Coulson, you were a good man.**

**NTK**


	8. Chapter 8

**Still Avengers, had a hard time writing this one. Thanks to Jordan for the Loki help, gave her small insert for her Loki love.**

**Own nothing.**

* * *

Cassidy could hear talking as she started to wake up. She opened her eyes slowly letting them focus.

"Ah the sleeping beauty awakes." Loki looked at her, "Pleasant dreams I hope."

She swallowed and sat up in her seat and looked around. She was in one of the air crafts from the S.H.E.I.L.D. base. She looked at Loki who was smirking at her, "You really need to stop doing that. I only know one person in the world who would consider that attractive. Red head in logistics, what was her name, Jamie…Jordan…" She trailed off.

"Doing what?" He walked toward her

"Smiling that that." She told him.

"Why's that?" He smirked more bending down close to her face.

"Two reasons, one it's creepy as all hell."

"And the other?" He whispered.

"Two." She stared into his icy blue eyes, "when they hit it off your face it's going to sting a lot more."

"And you would know from experience I'm sure." He told her and put a finger on her cheek that was bruising now, "See I know a lot about you and as long as you help me, I won't torture your friends. I'll just kill them, quickly."

"I'm not going to give you anything." She told him.

He laughed a little, "I do hope you reconsider before we get there, I really don't want to hurt you."

"Well you're out of luck, you're gonna have to hurt me, and when you're done I'm still not going to tell you anything." She said quite seriously.

He pulled his staff up to her face, "I could just make you."

"Then make me." She stared him down, "Believe me when I say what you could do to me, can't be worse than what's happened already."

"I highly doubt that." He sat down next to her, "You poor girl, helping someone you care about and all you get is nothing. It must be hard to be so close to him and have him spit venom at you."

She glanced at him trying to keep calm. He moved a hair from her face and smiled, "You don't deserve that."

"You don't know anything about it." She looked forward.

"Oh but I do." He looked down at his hands, "I know what it's like to feel unwanted and betrayed. My father lied to me and sent me into a void, while my biological father didn't even want me." She felt a twinge in her chest as he continued, "What Mr. Stark did to you that day, was awful, he shouldn't have come to you in that manner for something you didn't do."

She looked at him, "His family just died…"

"That's no excuse." He took her hand carefully, "You were there for him and he just cast you out like some rag to be thrown in the trash."

She looked at their hands then back to his face, "He was angry…he had a right to be and everything led to me."

"But you didn't say those things." He told her, "He had no right to hit you."

She choked and looked away, "Did Clint tell you this?" He had access to her files so it was possible.

"Does it matter? It's still true." He looked at her and frowned, "Cassandra, he can't do that to you, he can't do that to anyone."

She looked at him a tear slipping down her face. He wiped the tear away and smiled, "He told you something important that night, something you never forgot. Something that compels you to protect him. "

Cassidy looked down, "He was just angry and drunk and he kept trying to think if there was anything he could've done."

"Try remembering why you worked so hard to protect him because I don't see why you do. He's cruel and cold."

"He's not though…" She shook her head, "He's not. Even his father recognized that. Tony said the last thing they talked about was character and Howard told him to keep his light bright. He said it made Tony unique, for a Stark, that he had heart. I don't blame him for anything."

"Sir." One of his men looked back at him, "We got it. Selvig will be ready when we get there."

"Good." Loki stood up wiping his hands, "Good. Now then this loose end." He looked at Cassidy, "What will we do with you?"

She shut her eyes and hung her head. Stupid. She should've known he wanted her to talk.

"No retort, or angry montage?" He asked her.

She looked at him, "You're still going to lose."

"Why does everyone say that?" His face became hard.

"Because you lack conviction." The world suddenly went spinning as she fell to the floor.

"I'm tired of hearing that too!" He growled, "That stupid short man…he should be dead by now."

Her heart stopped again, "No…" She looked at Loki, "You killed Phil?"

"I've killed many people and will continue to do so." He looked at her and pulled her up by the hair.

She let out a yelp and glared at him, "You're as good as gone now. You've pissed everyone off and they're going to come after you."

"We'll be landing shortly sir." The pilot told him.

Loki shoved her into a seat, "Consider your precious Ironman dead."

She glared at him not saying anything. She glanced out the front window and saw Stark Tower. She had to find a way to let them know where they were going. She looked around the air craft.

"You're very smart, but very obvious when you're scared." The back hatch opened and Loki started off, "Bring her inside and make sure she doesn't touch anything. If she does throw her from the roof." One of the goons grabbed her and pulled her out after Loki.

She was thrown on the floor next to the fireplace. She groaned and sat up slowly looking around. Being here in person was different than watching it on a monitor.

"Sir." She watched a guard walk over to Loki and whisper something low to him.

"Is that so?" Loki looked back at Cassidy, "Well then…" He started walking toward.

She stood to her feet and started to step backwards, "J..jarvis…" There wasn't a sound, "Jarvis please help…"

Loki smirked, "I will enjoy this."

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed it cause I really struggled this time.**

**Thanks!**

**NTK**


	9. Chapter 9

**Enjoy! I know I am.**

**Own nothing.**

* * *

Tony landed on the platform and looked over at Loki who was walking into the office.

"Have you come to appeal to my humanity?" Loki smiled.

"Oh no actually I was going to threaten you." Tony started walking for the bar looking around the room.

"You should have kept your armor on for that." Loki looked down at his staff.

Tony moved behind the bar, "You want a drink? I'm gonna have one." He looked around the office again.

"She's not here at the moment if you're looking for her." Loki told him, "I'm surprised you care at all though."

"She's my friend." Tony poured a brown liquid into a cup.

"Really? She told me you hated her." Loki watched him carefully, "So much that it hurt herself to breath."

Tony's dark eyes looked at him, "You are treading on very thin ice…you've managed to piss everyone off."

"Well…" Loki shrugged proudly.

Tony walked down to him, "There is no way that you make it out on top here, because if we can't protect the earth we sure as hell will avenge it."

"It will be hard for them to fight me when they have to fight you." Loki took the staff and touched the arc reactor. Nothing happened.

Tony looked at him as he tried it again, "Where is Cassidy?"

Loki grabbed him by the neck, "Why don't you take a look?" He looked out the window and smirked seeing Cassidy at the edge looking over, "I think you've pushed her too far this time Stark."

"Jarvis anytime now!" Tony started to struggled to get free. He glanced over at Cassidy, "Cass!"

She looked back at him tears streaming down her face, her eyes that jagged blue like the tesseract, "I love you."

His eyes got wide as she stepped off the side, "Jarvis!" Tony shouted as Loki threw him out the window.

Tony put his arms at his sides speeding toward Cassidy. As he was about to reach her he put out his arms letting the Mark VII envelope his body.

The whole time he stared into Cassidy's eyes, they were the perfect blue they always were. She reached for him at the last second as he used his boosters to swivel back into the air and not slam into pedestrians.

Shaking she held onto him tightly, "Tony…"

"I'm right here you're fine now." He reassured her.

"Let me go." She told him.

He looked at her, "What?"

"Drop me you don't have much time!" She had something in her hand. He recognized it instantly as an EMP that would short out his suit in less than 30 seconds, "Drop me!" She hit one of the joints of the arm.

He let her slip out of his arms and watched her fall again, "Cassidy!"

Cassidy watched him as she fell. Her heart was thumping against her chest as she hurtled toward the ground. She shut her eyes tightly feeling the tears slip off her face.

A jolt moved her body through the air and the wind direction changed. She opened her eyes and saw Thor carrying her through the air, "Thor?"

He landed and set her down, "You are fine now, I suggest you get somewhere safe." He spun his hammer and took off toward the tower.

Her ear piece chirped to life, "Stark we're here."

"What'd you do stop for drive through. I'm leading the through Park meet me there." Tony spoke irritated.

"Is Cassidy alright?" Steve's voice rang through.

"I'm fine." She pressed it to communicate, "Just concentrate."

"Get someplace safe." Steve told her.

"I know exactly where I need to go." She muttered and ran for the tower.

Cassidy got to the tower with difficulty. Everyone else was running the opposite direction and debris was falling everywhere. She could see injured and dead people in the street. It took everything to not stop and help but she knew that if she didn't get to the tower, there may be no one left to help.

The whole way there she listened to her friends lay their lives on the line to save the world. She walked into the building and ran to the private elevator.

"Jarvis let me in." She started to key in a passcode, "I'm here to help Stark."

"Access denied." His voice rang out.

She cursed, "Jarvis…" The building shook as a big whale thing dropped outside of it. She stared for a moment then turned back to the panel and pulled it off cutting her hands up. It took her a minute but she got the door opened and went inside and pushed the roof.

When the doors opened she saw Loki getting his ass handed to him by the Hulk. She stood still trying not to draw attention to herself. When the Hulk was gone she walked out into the room. She saw Loki lying on the ground groaning pathetically.

She ignored him and started for a computer, "Help me…" She stopped and glanced back at him.

"Please help…" He reached for her slightly.

She walked over slowly and looked down at him, "I told you it was going to hurt."

He stared up at her when the ear piece chirped again, "I can close it, can anyone hear me?" Natasha spoke.

"Then close it!" Steve shouted.

"No wait. I got a nuke heading this way in less then a minute. " Tony's voice rang through, "I know just where to put it."

"Stark that's a one way trip." Steve told him.

Cassidy's heart was dropping. She walked away from Loki and touched the ear piece, "Stark make sure your flaps are open for the turn."

"I know."

"You don't have to go all the way in." She told him.

"If I'm sending it there I'm gonna hit something with it."

"Tony you gotta come back." She started to cry, "Do you hear me you have to come back."

"That's the plan."

"Because I have to tell you something…mainly that you're a liar and a complete asshole for not listening to me, but I want to say it to your face." She started to ramble.

"Cassidy…"

"Don't, you have to come home, you just have to." She started to sob, "If not for me for Pepper and the world, it still needs you."

She didn't hear anything, "Tony…Tony can you hear me?"

"Come on Stark." Natasha whispered.

"Close it." Steve said sadly.

"No!" Cassidy ran outside and looked up at the closing portal. Just as it closed an object emerged from it. She let out a sigh of relief which turned back to worry when it didn't slow down. She couldn't watch. Shutting her eyes tightly she sank down to the ground.

After 3 agonizing minutes, "We got him, he's fine." Steve told everyone. Her eyes snapped open and she looked back behind her at Loki.

He was starting to get up from his pit in the floor.

She walked inside looking at him, "What now?"

He looked at her stopping as she walked toward him. He stared at her.

"Why couldn't keep control over me?" she looked at him.

"I don't know." He told her, "But you served your purpose."

"You almost killed him." She glared.

"What of it?" He smirked, "It didn't work."

She stood in front of him looking down at him, then looked up and smiled.

Loki turned and saw the Avengers looking at him, "I…uh don't suppose I could have that drink now."

Thor and the Captain grabbed him and started out. Natasha and Clint kept guard in case he tried anything.

Tony was staring at Cassidy as she walked over to him.

"You okay?" She reached up to touch his face.

He didn't move out of the way as she inspected a cut on his cheek, "I should ask you the same thing."

"I've been hit before." She smiled trying to make a joke. By the look on his face he didn't like it, "We need to talk after things calm down."

"We could talk right now." He told her stubbornly.

"Really you want to do this right now, right here?" She looked around the shambled office.

"I think it's quite symbolic don't you." He started walking around and kicked some wood out of the way, "Isn't it the perfect representation of how our life ended in, shambles."

"You just saved the world, you're hurt, almost died..." She stared at him.

He turned around looked at her, "Did he make you say it?"

She stared at him, "I'm sorry?"

"Did he make you say what you said before you jumped?" He swallowed as she just stood there staring at him.

"Tony…"

"It's a simple question, did you or did he?"

"I don't know." She looked at him, "I don't know, I just know I opened my eyes and saw you flying towards me and it was like a dream. Then I saw the EMP and…"

"You saved my life." He told her, "Again."

"You saved the world, again." She stepped toward him looking up into his brown eyes that she missed so much even after all these years.

He stared down at her and went to reach for her hand, "You guys coming?" They both stepped away from each other and looked over at the Captain.

"Coming Steve." Cassidy walked forward taking Steve's hand. He smiled and pulled her up and touched her face and smiled. Cassidy smiled at him and started checking him over as they walked to find the others.

It made Tony's skin burn watching them.

* * *

**Rut Rows, what is Tony thinking?**

**NTK**


	10. Chapter 10

**Not much to say, except thank you sooooo much for the reviews! I'm glad you all like it!**

**Own nothing!**

* * *

It took them less then twenty four hours to come up with a plan to get Thor and Loki back to Asgard. They had all the materials they need on the base and the brightest minds to build it.

"Guys I'm sorry I can't…"

"It's okay Banner get some rest, we know what the Hulk does to you." Tony told him.

Bruce looked at him and then to Cassidy, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah we'll finish this in a couple of hours." She told him.

"Good night then." He nodded taking off his glasses and walked out.

"Night, don't have a nightmare." Tony watched him walk out and turned back to Cassidy who was soldering something. It had taken 16 hours for him to get alone with her.

"What?" She finally asked.

"You and the Captain seem really close." He walked over to her and inspected what she was doing.

She smiled, "Steve is a good guy, little slow to my jokes but half the time he doesn't get the reference sooo." She looked at Tony, "But yeah, he's been there for me since he came back. Especially when things got really hard for me."

"What do you mean really hard for you?" He started messing with some plating.

"Fury asked me to do a lot of things…a lot of things that brought up the past." She stared at the wires drifting off, "Steve kept me from breaking down."

Tony looked at her, "You guys seeing each other?"

She blushed, "What?"

"You know going out, dating, getting down-"

"No. We're not." She set down her tool and walked over to the sink.

After a moment of silence passed and he looked at her, "How's your mom?"

"Dead." She told him.

He frowned and looked down, "I'm sorry, how did-"

"Cancer." She looked at him, "About year after your parents."

He had always liked Sarah, "I'm sorry."

"Me too, I miss her." She walked back to the workstation with a cup of water and set it down.

"You wanted to say something to me." He looked at her.

"We really need to finish this." She diverted.

"Cassidy just say it." He grabbed her arm making her look at him, "Let me start for you , 'Tony you're an asshole' right isn't that how you wanted to start?"

"Let go." She told him. He did and waited. She moved some of her black hair from her face and stared at him, "I don't even know where to start."

"Then just start or I can if you want. There are certainly things I'd like to say to you."

"Fine, go ahead." She crossed her arms, "I'd love to hear it."

He set his jaw and took a few steps away from her then turned looking at her, "First some questions, how long have you been looking in on me?"

"I never stopped." She stared at him.

"Why? I gave you every reason to want to hate me. I stopped you from getting jobs and getting into colleges." He stared at her realizing that he'd been the worst child ever.

"Because even though you believed that I betrayed you, I never did. Even when I walked in for interviews and immediately was ushered out, I still had faith in you." She told him.

"Because I believed that you betrayed me, Cassidy the evidence was there you're still trying to say that you didn't-" He watched her stand up straight.

"No didn't. As much I hated your father for everything he did to you, I loved you too much to do anything like that. I didn't spread those lies Tony. Yeah the evidence was there, but you never stopped to listen to my side." She told him.

"Then tell me now. Because honestly I just remember being angry." His face started to burn.

She teared up and shut her eyes, "Do you remember the night after the funeral?"

His stomach twisted and he nodded.

"Let me start there."

_"Tony…" Cassidy walked into the study. He was standing in front of the fire place staring into the flames, "Tony you should get some rest."_

_"You know what the last conversation I had with my father was about?" The angry 17 year old took a long sip off of his drink, "Character. He told me that I had a bright light and that I shouldn't lose it. That I had heart."_

_Cassidy looked at him and walked over to him, "Tony he was complimenting you."_

_"Really?" Tony looked at her, "Doesn't feel that way because then he started tell me how I screwed up so much."_

_She stared at him, "You need to stop drinking that."_

_"Well I'm not finished with it, and I'm not finished for the night either." He tipped his head back and laughed._

_"Tony…"_

_"What? You want to run my life too?" He shouted at her._

_"You're hurting I know that but you need to calm down." Her eyes got wide in fear and she took a step back. He grabbed her roughly making her stop, "Tony that hurts."_

_"Everything hurts." He told her and pulled her close, "Make it stop."_

_"Tony let go." She tried pulling free._

_"I think I'm going to live by a new set of rules, life is too short, take what you want." He tried to kiss her._

_"Stop! Tony you're drunk." She pushed him away making him spill his drink._

_He growled and hit her across the face. She let out a cry. He stared at her and his hand that still hung in the air._

_She looked at him tears in her eyes, "You…"_

_"Cass…" He dropped the drink and moved to go to her._

_"Stay away from me!" She shouted, "You are just like Jared and your father a drunk." She turned and started out._

_"Cassidy…" He watched her leave._

_She ran down the hall crying and stopped outside taking a deep breath of air._

_"Cassidy?" Her mother saw her and walked over, "Darling what happened?" She looked at her face._

_"Tony…he…" Cassidy cried and hugged her mother._

_"Oh baby…" Sarah frowned, "Don't worry I'll take care of it. It'll be fine."_

_A day later the paper headlines read the most awful lies about Howard Stark. How he was a traitor to his country. Reporters pounded on the Stark's doors and wouldn't leave Tony alone. Obadiah Stane worked hard to control it, while Tony worked hard to find out who sold a lie._

_"Mom, what is this?" Cassidy held up check._

_"Oh…don't worry about it honey, just put it in your school fund." Sarah told her, "I have a doctor's appointment I'll be back later." Her mother walked out of the house._

_Cassidy stared at the check, $2500.00. She frowned and set it on the table then there was a knock at the door. She opened it and Tony barged in._

_"Tony?" She looked at him. He looked horrible._

_"Why?" He glared at her, "Why would you do that?"_

_She stared at him, "I don't understand."_

_"God don't lie, I traced everything back to from the reporter. $2500.00 huh, that's what it takes to ruin my family's name."_

_She stared at him a sinking feeling filling her gut, "Tony?"_

_"You sold lies because you were angry at me? How could you? I thought you were better than that…better than me. You're nothing but another person who wants something from me!"_

_"I didn't…you really think I would say those things?" She looked at him._

_"I know you did! I have the proof and you have the check I watched him deliver to your door!" He shouted, "You're gonna pay for this for the rest of your life."_

_"I didn't do anything Tony! Just listen…"_

_"I'm done listening to your lies, I never want to see you again." His words stung her more than any punch in the face could. He walked out of the apartment._

_She sat down at the dining room table looking at the check and waited. Her mother came home hours later tired and with groceries, "Dear could you help me?"_

_"What did you do?" Cassidy looked at her._

_"I bought food?" Sarah set everything on the floor._

_Cassidy stood up and held up the paper and the check, "What did you do!"_

_Sarah stared at them both then looked at Cassidy. She took a deep breath, "I protected you."_

_"You tried to ruin a good man!" Cassidy shouted._

_"Tony is exactly like his father, you don't need that type of person in your life."_

_"Tony is nothing like his father."_

_"He hit you!"_

_"So did Jared!" _

_Her mother's face dropped, "What?" They had divorced a couple years prior._

_"God Mom…" She shook her head and grabbed her coat._

_"Where are you going?"_

_"College, I can't be here anymore." She looked at her mom, "I'll see you around Christmas…"_

_"Cassidy…Cassandra wait!" Her mother shouted as she left._

Tony stared at her in the lab, "Your mom…she…"

"She thought she had to." Cassidy took a deep breath.

"And you just let me blame you." Tony took a step toward her, she nodded, "You let me slander you for months."

"Well you had made up your mind and Obadiah wouldn't let me talk to you." She told him not looking at him.

He took her hands in his, "And then you followed me…for years…saved me from a desert…found a new element…convinced me to drop you."

She looked at him, "I had to."

"Why?"

"Because the world needs Tony Stark." She told him she took her hands from his and went back to the device.

He stared at her for a moment. He felt like his world was just crashing around him. For twenty years he did nothing but hate this woman in front of him and she didn't do anything but care for him. How could he fix that?

Sure he had money, but he knew her enough that she didn't want anything like that.

She looked at him, "Tony can help me?"

"Hm? Oh yeah." He walked over and started working with her.

How could he fix something that wasn't actually broken with her, but with him?

* * *

**Poor Tony so conflicted!**

**Thanks for reading!**

**NTK**


	11. Chapter 11

**Short chapter is short! I'm sorry I just couldn't find any way to transition to the next part, I hope you enjoy!**

**Own nothing!**

* * *

The sendoff was brief. Cassidy hugged Bruce goodbye, "Take care of yourself alright."

"I will, and I do promise to keep in touch." He told her, "And thanks for the tapes, didn't think they still made cassettes."

"Ah well you just gotta know where to look." She smiled and looked over his shoulder seeing Tony finish up with Steve and walk over to Clint and Natasha.

She walked over to Steve and smiled at him, "Oh Captain my Captain."

He chuckled, "I actually know that one."

Cassidy hugged him tightly feeling his strong arms wrap around her, "Where are you going to go?"

"I don't know, think I might just travel for a while, see America for what she is now." He hugged her tightly picking her up off the ground slightly.

She giggled and kissed his cheek and he set her down, "You have to be safe alright and call. Use your cell phone, I know you hate it but please use it, at least to call me."

"I will." He smiled and touched her face and kissed her forehead, "You better call me too."

"Number's on speed dial." She told him and hugged him one last time, "Okay go before I cry."

Steve looked at her and smiled, "C'ya around."

She nodded and watched him get on his bike. She chewed on her bottom lip tearing up, "Dammit." She turned around and jumped a little. Tony was standing right in front of her.

"You okay?" He asked her.

"Yeah fine, never better." She smiled.

He pulled out a handkerchief and gave it to her, "You know he's old enough to be your grandfather."

"Still a good friend." She took the handkerchief.

He stood there looking at her as she wiped her face. He put his hands in his pockets, "So…are we alright?"

"I don't know are we?" She stared up at him.

He swallowed and looked away. He was never good at the serious things, "It's just…so much all at once." He looked back at her, "I wish I could take it all and just redo it." He told her, "But I can't…"

"I understand." She nodded.

"But…" He took her hand in his, "I'm willing to make in effort in trying."

She looked at him and smiled, "Me too."

He smiled at her, "Can I hug you? Everyone else was hugging you. Even Natasha hugged you, which was weird."

She rolled her eyes.

"Is that I yes I can't tell?" He smirked.

"Shut up and just hug me!" She punched his arm.

He chuckled and hugged her taking a deep breath of her hair, "Wow you still smell like flowers."

She looked at him, "You're sniffing me?"

"Was just curious." He let her go, "So where are you going?"

"Uh, well I'm job hunting actually." She told him, "S.H.E.I.L.D. has let me go."

He made a face, "Let you go? Why?"

"You know they don't give reasons." She told him, "But I do get some compensation but it doesn't last forever."

"Well you know…" He started rubbing his chin.

"I know." She told him, "We'll see."

He nodded, "Right…well, keep in touch. We still have a lot to talk about."

"I'll get ahold of Pepper." Cassidy smiled, "Take care Tony."

"You too…Cass." He walked over to his car and glanced back, "Seriously call soon."

"Goodbye Tony." She waved at Bruce again and watched them drive off.

Tony looked in the rear view mirror and looked at her standing in the street. He sighed putting his hand to his mouth.

Bruce looked at Tony then back at Cassidy, "You should do something."

"Excuse me?" Tony looked at him.

Bruce smiled, "Wow for once I see something that Tony Stark doesn't."

"And what is it that you see Dr. Banner?" Tony stopped at red light.

"Broken hearts." Bruce told him.

"Ha!" Tony shook his head, "We are just friends. New old friends, starting over friends. There are no hearts involved." He rambled off quickly.

"Cassidy, I think, thinks differently." Bruce told him.

"What do you know? What aren't you saying?" Tony looked at him.

Bruce smiled and looked forward, "Your light is green."

"I bet I could make you green." Tony looked at him not moving the car, "Come on what do you know?"

Bruce looked at him, "She may have told me something sensitive regarding you."

Tony felt that was enough to start driving again, "Sensitive how?"

"A world without Tony Stark, is a dark world for me." Bruce told him, "That's what she said."

"That just means she cares about me." Tony told him, "I know she cares."

"She followed up with, I'd go to hell and back and all he'd have to do is keep breathing." Bruce told him, "You should do something."

"And what am I going to do? Huh?" Tony looked at him, "I've had a problem with her for over twenty years and last night everything blew up in my face. I'm having a hard enough time just dealing with the truth."

"Sorry…just…she looked really sad." Bruce looked at him

"She was sad that Steve was leaving. He and her they have a thing…well not a thing but a thing…" Tony cracked his jaw finding that he was tense.

Bruce rolled his eyes, "Whatever. Just thought as a scientist I should point it out."

"Well…thanks I guess…" He shrugged it off and glanced back in the mirror but found nothing. It was going to be a long drive.

* * *

**Short I know. But I'll make it up to you! I promise.**

**NTK**


	12. Chapter 12

**Haha so a lot of you have been commenting on how I update a lot, well it's mainly because I have an hour lunch at work and I just jot down my main points and come home and hash it out. Each day is something new to the story, so I hope you can keep up.**

**Also the love triangle...sigh...it was not intentional but yes it is happening...**

**Own nothing.**

* * *

Cassidy crossed off another name on the list. It was the third job that called and canceled their interview with her. She sighed staring at the small notebook in front of her. Six months and nothing, she didn't think it would be this hard. She started tapping her pen on the table and looking around the restaurant.

She sighed again, "Bad day at the office?" She smiled as Tony took a seat across from her with that perfect smirk planted on his face.

"If I could get into an office I would love to tell you that it's been horrible." She set her pen down, "But I can't even get into an office for an interview anymore. Other than that life is peachy."

"Peachy? I thought you were more of a plumb person." He knew better than to offer her a job any more. At first he tried, but he only ended up with bruises on his upper arm.

"Yes, but you don't say life is plumb." She watched him as he ordered some wine from the waiter.

"Why not? You helped save the world, you can do what you want." He smirked.

She snorted, "You still believe that?"

"I do." He leaned back in his chair, "And so should all the Avengers."

"I'm not an Avenger though. I'm just an engineer." She told him, "A really bored engineer."

"You'll find something soon." He told her, "You're good at what you do and someone would be very stupid not to hire you."

"Well I hope you're right, because I just put in a resume a very prestigious company." She told him, "To work and design on vehicles that don't break when they are under fire."

He smirked, "You hacked into my system again."

"It's not hard when every other password hotrod or dortoh." She smirked back.

"Noted." He moved forward, "And it's about time that you applied, all the people working there have no style. Everything is all blocky and cubed."

She smiled at him, "Not even going to read my resume."

"Well since it doesn't actually say, 'worked on top secret air base as part of a special task force that saved the world' I guess I'll just have to take your word that you have." He smirked, "You're hired."

She rolled her eyes and took a sip of her wine, "Mm! Did you get your birthday present?"

"Yes I did, I hung it up right next to the other one. I like the first one better though." He smirked, "Pepper says you should open a gallery."

"I just draw for fun." She told him, "I'd rather build something though."

"I told her that, but she didn't listen." He rolled his eyes, "Its engineer thing I think."

Cassidy laughed, "How is Pepper doing anyways?"

"She's good." He smiled, "Peppy as usual."

They talked for hours over dinner. They'd been getting together, at least twice a week for four months. They got to know each other again and Cassidy was loving it.

She laughed, "You did not."

"I did." He told her as they walked through the streets of New York, "Not one of my best moments."

"I'd say not." She looked at him smiling.

He smiled at her as they stopped by his car. They stood there in silence for a moment, "Uh so, I'll see you at the tower tomorrow then."

"Doesn't Pepper have to approve it first?" She tilted her head.

"No…I've been begging her to just ask you to work for us, and she said when you finally accepted the fact that you're meant to work for us she'd say yes." He told her.

"I'm sure." She rolled her eyes.

He pulled her into a hug, "Get some rest, I'm gonna run you ragged now."

She rubbed his back and smiled, "Good it's about time I do something productive."

He let her go, "Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow." She saluted and started walking away, "Goodnight Tony." She glanced back when she heard the car door close. Tony smiled at her and waved as he pulled out into traffic. She was absolutely giddy inside. When she discovered the project in Tony's files her heart jumped out of her chest, this was going to be her baby.

Two months later she let her head slam against the glass workstation, "No, that's not what I wanted at all."

"Are you sure?" Rang in her ear piece.

"Yes Steve I'm sure, it wasn't supposed to blow up." She glared at him over the phone, "I'm gonna lose my job."

"Stark isn't going to fire you." Steve chuckled, "You're too valuable and you know it."

"Flatterer." She sighed.

"I only speak the truth Ma'am."

She stood up and went to the computer screens switching through the blueprints, "I don't know what's wrong, I have even asked the other engineers and they don't see anything either."

"Have you asked him?" She stopped at the suggestion, "From your hesitation I'm assuming that means no."

"I don't want give him the satisfaction yet." She mumbled.

"Cassidy…" Steve chided, "You have a deadline."

"But…"

He smiled knowing she was pouting, "Just ask him."

She sighed, "You know lately you've been on his side a lot."

"I'd never thought I'd ever be considered on Stark's side for anything." Steve told her.

"Cass." Tony's face appeared on the screen. He was in a different lab.

She jumped back, "Ah!"

"Cassidy?" Steve sounded concerned, "Are you alright?"

"Yes…" She glared at Tony who was laughing, "I'm fine. I have to go. I'll talk to you later Steve. Definitely will, bye." She pulled out the ear piece and looked at Tony, "There's a buzz option on that video chat did you know that?"

"Is that what the little swirly lines next to your name means?" He asked smirking.

"You are such an…" She started

"So definitely what?" He asked her.

"Come again?" She started gathering up some files on the desk.

"What will you be definitely doing for…Steve…" he said with a little disdain.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" She looked at him.

"I would that's why I asked." He looked at her, "Are you avoiding the question?"

"Nope, I'm denying its existence." She threw the files in a cubby.

"You can't just deny-"

"I need your help." She turned around making him shut his mouth instantly, "When it starts it blows up."

"Did you connect the engine with the right conduction?"

"Yes."

"And the battery supply is standard right now, not arc?"

"Correct." She leaned against the table and sent him the blueprints. She watched him open it up and stare at it for a moment.

He started clicking and drew something and sent it back, "There, that should fix it."

She looked at the blueprint and then to him, "I hate you sometimes."

"That's not very nice." He spun around in his chair.

"It comes with love." She sent the prints down to the assemblers.

He stopped spinning and stared at her, "I need to ask you something."

She looked at him, "What's up?"

"Do you have plans tonight?"

"No. Why?" She crossed her arms.

"There's just this thing, that Pepper needs me to go to and she has to go with the big big wigs and I just have to show up and I hate going to these things alone." He looked at her.

"Is it formal?" She asked him.

"Yes."

"Nope can't go."

"What? Why not?"

"Let me guess it starts at 8 which is four hours from now." She watched him and continued, "I don't have a dress, I'd have to get cleaned up and do my hair, all which would take too long."

"So we show up late." He smiled, "I'm known for being late."

She rolled her eyes, "My point still stands."

"So buy a dress go to a salon and I'll pick you up and 7:45, see you!"

"Tony….Tony!" She shouted as the screen went black.

* * *

**Tony! God it takes a girl days in advance to plan for these things!**

**Thanks for the read!**

**NTK**


	13. Chapter 13

**...own nothing...**

* * *

"I'm really sorry Steve. Honestly I tried to call Pepper first." Cassidy told him over the phone as she crawled into her dress that she'd just bought a few hours ago, "But she's probably in a meeting or something before the party."

"Cassidy you're fine." He told her as he sat down on the bed of his hotel room, "I'm not doing anything important, and besides I love hearing from you."

"Still this is a girly thing to call you for." She struggled to reach the zipper in the back, "Oh my god, I'm going to kill him for this."

Steve smiled and chuckled as he listened to her complain about Tony.

"So I asked for the time off with personnel, just have to wait for it to be approved." She told him, "Sorry that I can't give you anything concrete right now, having a job sucks."

"Yeah? Except you don't really mean that." He grabbed the paper and looked for the crossword.

"I know, but I miss you Steve. It's been almost a year." She started putting on her make up.

"Come on now, it's only been 8 months." He corrected.

"Way too long." She told him, "Where did you stop tonight anyways?"

"Somewhere in Ohio." He filled in a word, "It's a small town."

"You should stop in Cleveland, they have a nice museum." She looked at herself in her long mirror.

"Thanks, I'll think about it."

"Okay hold on a second." She took her phone and snapped a picture of herself in the mirror and sent it to him, "I just sent you a picture."

He sighed heavily, "Still say that pictures should stay in frames."

She laughed, "You're just not used to it yet, you're just like the rest of your generation," She smiled making fun of him, "Except better looking."

He rolled his eyes as his phone beeped, "Okay I think got it, but if I hang up on you…"

"You are totally forgiven."

He pulled the phone away from his ear and managed to pull up the photo. His mouth dropped slightly, "Uh…"

"Well?" She heard her say through the speaker.

"You, um…" he put the phone back to his ear. He still wasn't good with girls, but Cassidy was his friend, so he tried harder, "You look great."

"Really?"

"Yes really." He nodded and smiled, "Really very lovely. You certainly are making me jealous of Stark tonight."

She blushed and smiled a little, "Well…"the doorbell rang, "oh that's him…"

Steve sighed listening to her scramble for her shoes.

"I have to go, but I'll talk to you soon okay." She told him.

"Right yes, have a good night alright." He told her and hung up with her.

She put her phone in her purse and went to the door opening it. She smiled at Tony, "Hey come in, I'm almost ready." She turned walking back inside.

Tony watched her walk away his mouth slightly ajar. She was stunning in light pink chiffon. Her hair cupped her face making is shine. He smiled stepping inside as his phone went off.

He pulled it out of his pocket reading 'Text msg from Cap'n'. He made a face and opened it reading, "Be a gentlemen." Tony rolled his eyes and put his phone away.

"Oh where are you?" He heard Cassidy say as she sifted through piles of papers on her table. He watched the chiffon flow around her making her look angelic.

"What are we looking for?" He moved some of her drawings around on the table. Some were blueprints others of people or places.

"My book of secrets." She told him and lifted a large book up, "Aha!" She pulled a small moleskin notebook out and stuffed it in her purse.

"What kind of secrets?" He eyed her purse.

"You," She smiled at him, "won't know until you're supposed to."

He walked her out of the house, "Any secrets about me?" He opened the car door.

She only smirked and slid into the car not saying a word.

He eyed her then smiled, "You look very lovely tonight Miss Voltolini."

She looked at him, "Thank you Mr. Stark, you look quite nice yourself."

"Nice? I give you lovely you give me nice, psh…" He smirked shutting her door and slid across the roof to get to his side. It was something he used to do in front of her all the time. He heard her laughing as he got in.

"You're going to hurt yourself one day." She told him.

"Hurting one's self to impress the ladies." He said thoughtfully, "Pepper's never minded…much."

"Well she's certainly a catch, you definitely need to hold onto her." She looked at him and smiled.

He looked at her as he drove, then back to the road not saying anything. His and Pepper's relationship has certainly grown over the years since he became Iron Man, but hearing someone like Cassidy tell him that he needed to hold onto her made him think. Maybe he did need take action. Someone like Pepper didn't come around often.

But…

He glanced at Cassidy who was smiling happily. He smiled at her.

There were lots of Peppers in the world. Nice people, kind people who cried when their bosses got lost and stuck with them. However, people like Cassidy were rare. People like her went beyond the distances that were put in front of them until they found something they were satisfied with.

He wondered what would satisfy Cassandra Voltolini? What did she want in life? He intended to find out.

But for now he would take her to a party where they would be bored together. He sighed as he pulled, "Reporters…she didn't say there would be reporters."

"You should be used of them by now." She looked at him as the valet opened the door and she stepped out. Flashes instantly blinded her. She felt herself become very self conscious, that's when she felt a warm arm slip behind her back and a hand take her free hand.

She looked at Tony he smiled at her, "Allow me to save you this time."

"Tony! Who's the girl on your arm tonight?"

"It's been eight months since the incidents in New York, where is everyone?"

People kept asking questions as they walked into the party. Tony kept his cool nodding at people, waving when needed, but he never let go of Cassidy.

Once inside he still didn't release her. He smiled and nodded to some people, "That wasn't so bad." He commented and looked at Cassidy.

"No actually much better then I thought." She told him looking around the room, "This place is really fancy."

"It should be it's made for wedding events mostly." He didn't know how he knew that, "And events like this."

"Why are we here? You never told me." Cassidy looked at him.

He made a face, "I could lie to you and make up this great big scheme, but I really don't know Pepper just said be here or I'd get in trouble."

"Boy you are whipped." She smirked

"Not nearly whipped enough." Pepper walked over to them in a beautiful silver evening gown.

"Oh my god, Pepper." Cassidy moved away from Tony and hugged her, "You look beautiful."

Pepper smiled, "Thank you, so do you. That dress is just stunning."

Tony watched the two of them talk for a moment about what they were wearing. He noticed Cassidy had no idea what Pepper was really talking about but she tried and that's what made it cute. He started looking around the room for a bar as they finished up, "Ladies drinks on me?"

"Vodka martini please." Pepper smiled, "You know how I like it."

"Right olives…" He nodded and looked at Cassidy, "Anything?"

"No thanks." She smiled, "Remember I don't drink."

"Right…" he nodded getting a little guilt gut, "I'll be right back." He walked toward the bar that was located outside on the large patio, "Vodka martini, dry, extra olives, and a scotch."

"Tony Stark?" A reporter walked over to him and leaned against the bar.

"Uh sorry I can't talk about anything that happened in New York." He told them.

"Actually, I am more interested in the rumors about a new land vehicle that you're making for the army. I thought Stark Industries wasn't investing in the military anymore."

Tony chuckled something he was actually allowed to talk about, "Well actually it's a civilian evacuator. We're planning on giving them to the military in hopes that they'll use them to get people out of hot zones."

"What makes you think they won't just strap guns to them?"

"I don't." Tony's face got hard, "but you can be sure as hell-"

"TONY!" He heard after he was on the ground and after a resounding pop. Tony looked for Pepper who yelled for him. He saw her face in the crowd that was being held back. Her hands where to her mouth and tears were pooling out of her eyes. But she wasn't looking at him. He gazed went behind him and his heart stopped.

Cassidy stood there looking down at him and smiled a little before looking at her chest. Blood started to soak through the pink chiffon.

"Cassidy." He stood to his feet and caught her as she started to fall, "Cassidy!"

* * *

**...**

**NTK**


	14. Chapter 14

**So do you guys hate me? I hope not because I love you all.**

**Own nothing.**

* * *

"Cassidy…Cass…" Tony put a hand to her chest putting pressure on the wound. He looked up at the crowd, "Someone call for help!"

"You…were in…the way…" She smiled through the wheezes.

"Hey don't talk." He pulled his jacket of and put it to her chest.

She coughed and wheezed, "You can't…tell…"

"Yes I can, I'm your boss now, so shut up." He told her feeling tears prick his eyes, "Help is on the way just hold on."

"Tony…" She blinked looking at him.

"I'm right here." He looked at her and saw a tear fall down her face.

She closed her eyes tightly, "Oh god…"

"Keep your eyes open, focus Cassidy." He told her and looked around, out of all these people there wasn't a doctor.

"Tony…" She could taste copper. She opened her eyes trying to get them to focus, she found Tony's face. She reached up slowly and touched his face. She was wheezing, "You…have…" She coughed, "to do something."

He nodded, "Of course anything…but first we gonna get you help so you need to stop talking." A tear slipped down his face.

She smiled a little, "You have…you have to tell her…" She kept her hand on his face.

He looked at her confused, "Cassidy just stay with me."

"Tell her…" She started coughing more as blood trickled out her mouth, "…what you really feel…"

He looked at her, "I will, I will tell her…" he nodded and felt her hand slipping from his face, "Cass…" He caught it in his hand, "Cassidy…"

She didn't say anything.

He watched the light in her eyes start to fade, "Cassidy…Cass…Cass…please…" He scooped her up and held her to his chest, "don't go…you can't go, don't leave…Cass…" He buried his face in her hair, "Come on! Cassidy…" She laid limp in his arms, "Open your eyes…Cassidy!" He shook her, "Please…"

Paramedics ran over to him and took Cassidy from.

Tony pushed them away from him. He wanted to see Cassidy. He watched them pull out paddles to shock her.

"Help her…" he whispered. Her body lifted off the ground.

"Again?" The paramedic nodded to the other one and they shocked her again.

Tony looked away then back. Never in his life had he felt so much pain.

"We got a pulse, lets move now!" They lifted her up on the gurney.

Tony looked at them the word pulse ringing through to him. They grabbed him and were taking him with her. As soon as they made it out of the hall flashes erupted, people shouting questions. For once he didn't hear any of it, his eyes were only focused on the dieing woman in front of him.

The paramedic was preforming CPR on her all the way to the hospital. They rushed her away leaving Tony with a different doctor who checked him over.

"I'm fine!" He shouted for the hundredth time, "I want to know where she is, take me to her now!"

"Sir you have to wait." A nurse tried to explain

"No I don't!" Tony shouted, "That woman is my best friend and she just took a bullet for me, do not tell me that I have to wait!"

"Julia it's fine, I'll take care of it." A doctor walked looking at him, "Come with me."

Tony followed the doctor out, "Is she ok? Can I do anything? Money isn't an issue."

"Yes we know, your CEO has already informed us that she's under the Stark care policy." The doctor told him, "She's still in surgery."

Tony stared at them, "Is that good? Bad? What is it?"

"Mr. Stark, we won't know anything until afterwards. The surgery is going well, but she was considered dead for over three minutes."

Tony stopped in the hall, "What does that mean?"

"It means there is a possibility there could be more wrong, but we won't know until she wakes up." The doctor looked at him, "We have a waiting room for you and anyone else who needs to be here." The doctor stopped at the door, "We're doing everything we can."

Tony nodded and walked into the room and saw Pepper and Happy. Pepper stood up and ran over to him, "Tony." She hugged him.

He held her tightly and shut his eyes, "They said…"

"I know…" Pepper nodded, "All we can do is wait."

He nodded and looked over at Happy, he was holding a bag. Pepper reached over for it, "You should change." She gave Tony the bag, "Bathroom is right there, we'll get you if they come."

Tony swallowed and nodded walking into the bathroom. He set the bag in the sink and looked at in the mirror. He had blood all over him. He felt something well up inside his chest. He stared at himself and started to shake, "Oh god…"

Scrunching up his face to stop the tears and changed and washed up. He came out in jeans and a t-shirt. He looked at Pepper and sniffed, "Are you okay?"

She looked at him puffy eyed and walked over and hugged him again, "Are you?"

He was doing so well. He broke down, "Oh god…Pepper…"

She held him rubbing his back, "It all happened so fast…She just reacted…" She frowned, "She loves you so much."

What she said wasn't helping much, it just made the lump in his chest bigger.

Pepper looked at him and moved his hair around, "Um some police officers want to talk to you okay."

"Now?" Tony frowned she nodded. He walked out into the hall and looked at the cops, "My best friend got shot. I don't know by who, I don't know why. She saved my life and now….that's all I have to say on the matter." The officers stood there confused as Tony opened the door.

He turned and walked into the waiting room and took a seat next to Pepper and took her hand in his.

She looked at him and gave his hand a squeeze. Hours later the doctor came in and told them that the surgery was successful, but they were putting her in the ICU and she couldn't have any visitors.

Tony looked at Pepper sleeping on the small couch as he drank some coffee. They'd been there for 12 hours and they still weren't allowed to see her.

The door suddenly flew open, "You."

Tony looked over and then his world spun as he hit the ground. He could taste copper in his mouth.

"Oh my god! Tony!" Pepper moved over to him.

Tony shook it off and looked over at who hit him.

Steve stood over him, face was slightly red, "You were supposed to protect her! That's what we agreed on!"

Tony stared at him, "I know…"

"What the hell were you thinking?" Steve shouted at him, "You should've been paying attention!"

"This isn't his fault!" Pepper looked at him, "There was no way for Tony to know."

"No he's right it is my fault." Tony sat up on his knees, "I let my guard down."

"Tony…" Pepper looked at him.

"I couldn't save her." Tony looked at Steve, "I couldn't do anything…I lost her."

Steve stared down at him then offered his hand to him.

Tony stared at him and took his hand and stood up.

"Is she okay?" Steve asked him.

"She was in surgery then they put her in the ICU." He told him wiping the blood from his nose, "They are running some test to check for brain damage."

"Have you seen her?" Tony shook his head, "Can I stay?"

"Heh…uh yeah…" Tony nodded, "You kind of have to, you're her best friend."

They sat down away from each other and Pepper looked at Tony's nose. They got a nurse and fixed him up.

That evening the doctor came in. Both Tony and Steve stood up and walked over to him.

"She's doing well, the scans aren't revealing anything to be worried about. However to help her heal we are keeping her under." The doctor looked at them, "She should be able to go to home in a few days. However, we recommend that she stay home resting until we say otherwise and someone will have to stay with her. Does she have anyone?"

"Yes, actually we've talked about that." Tony looked at Steve, "We're thinking of going to my Rhode Island house keeping her out of the city until she's well enough."

"That's a good plan, we can make the arrangements to move her there later. We can also discuss having a doctor come out to visit for checkups."

A loud beeping noise came from the Captain. He reached into his pocket pulling out his phone, "Uh, I have to take this." He walked out of the room.

"You are welcome to see her, however she won't be awake." The doctor gave them the room number and walked out.

Steve walked back inside, "I have to go, something's come up." He looked at Tony seriously, "I'll be unavailable for a few days, after that you need me…she needs me…"

"I'll send you up dates." Tony told him, "You should visit her before you go."

Steve nodded to everyone and turned walking out.

Tony sighed and ran a hand over his face instantly regretting it as he brushed his broken nose. He sat back down and leaned his head against his hand.

Pepper looked at him and touched his arm, "Tony…"

"You know what she asked me to do?" Pepper stared at him, "She said that I tell her…tell what I really feel." He looked at Pepper.

Pepper stared at him, "Did you?"

"I don't know who her is." He frowned.

Pepper laughed, "Oh Tony…"

"This isn't funny Pepper." He looked at her, "I know she meant you but…"

"But you love her." Pepper looked at him watching the shock roll over him, "Tony, Tony, Tony…"

"Pepper…" He stared at her not knowing what to say.

"I haven't seen you so relaxed at work or at home until she came back into your life." She sat up turning to him fully, "You give her everything and what I mean is you give her you. You take her out and have fun, we don't do that. We just work."

He looked down at his hands, "I…"

"Don't, I understand, and I'm happy for you Tony, I am, you two are good for each other." She told him smiling.

"But she thinks…"

"Then change it. If you want it, change it." Pepper touched his face, "You can't stop Tony Stark, so I'm told."

He looked at her and smiled, "You good woman Pepper Potts."

She nodded and stood up, "I'm going to go, I'll have someone set up the Rhode Island home for you. Call me with news."

He stared at her, "Thank you and I will." He watched her walk out with Happy.

So, now all he had to do was figure out how to tell Cassidy something very important.

* * *

**So what will Tony do? We shall have to find out.**

**NTK**


	15. Chapter 15

**You should all know I'm not going to make it easy for anyone in this story. Thank you all for the support!**

**Own nothing!**

* * *

A few days went by fast and the doctor told them that she'd finally woken up.

"Now I'm just going to be observing." He told Tony, "I'll judge by her and your reactions if everything's going well."

"Right okay, so act normal got it." Tony nodded and walked in slowly after the doctor.

Cassidy was laying in the hospital bed with her eyes shut. She looked grey to him, not herself as she was hooked up to different machines.

He moved to her side and her eyes opened. He smiled, "Hey."

She blinked several times letting her eyes adjust, "Tony?"

"Yeah." He nodded.

"What are you doing here?" She asked him.

Tony looked at her and went to take her hand, "Why wouldn't I be?"

She pulled her hand away before he could take it, "Where are we? Where is everyone?"

"Cass?" He looked at the doctor then back to her, "You're in a hospital, you…you were shot."

She looked at him and then down at herself then to the doctor, "What?"

The doctor moved over to her, "Cassidy what day is it?"

"Um May 4th." She looked at him.

Tony took a step back and sat down. May 4th was eight months ago.

"And what's the last thing you remember?"

"I…" She made a face, "I was in my office and I went to the cafeteria where I saw Dr. Banner. We talked, and then…" She put a hand to her face, "We talked and…"

"Don't try to force it." The doctor told her, "Will you excuse us for a moment." He took Tony out into the hall.

Tony looked at him once they were there, "Eight months…she's lost eight months."

"I am aware." The doctor looked at him, "This isn't uncommon."

"You said there wasn't anything wrong." Tony set his jaw.

"No, I said nothing showed up, this isn't something that shows up." The doctor told him, "Mr. Stark she's been through a traumatic event which may have brought her back to another traumatic event. Do you know what may have happened?"

"A lot of things." He told him, "Nothing I can tell you, but yes there was trauma."

The doctor nodded, "Try to talk to her, give her clues, but it's best if she remembers on her own. I'm going to make some calls to get some test done."

Tony watched the doctor walk down the hall. He took a deep breath and walked into the room. Cassidy looked at him, "What's going on?"

"Um, well it's not May 4th…" Tony told her, "It's actually January 8th."

She stared at him and looked away, "What happened? Then I mean."

"Doctor says you should try to remember…"

"Just tell me." She looked at him.

"We won." Tony told her.

She nodded and stared at him, "And you're here because?"

"Cassidy…" He frowned, "You saved my life I'm going to be here for you."

"Forgive me but the last thing I remember you saying to me was that I 'equate to nothing.'" She told him tearing up, "So I'd like you to leave."

He felt his heart just drop, "Alright…" He stood up walking for the door, "if…if you need anything though…"

"I won't." Her words knifed into him.

Tony sat in the waiting room trying to wrap his head around it. Eight months. Gone. Just like that he was the bad guy again.

His phone started to ring. He looked at it and answered it, "Hey…yeah she's awake…you need to get back here." He hung up and sat in the dark, "I love you Cassidy…I'm gonna get you back."

Cassidy sat in the room alone for hours. She had cried screamed yelled. She wanted to remember. She sighed and wiped her tears away as the door opened. She looked over and sat up quickly. She put a hand to her chest, "Steve."

"Hey hey…" He smiled and eased her back down, "You have to be careful."

"You're hurt." She looked at his face that had a black eye.

"I'm fine." He told her and sat down taking her hand, "But you're not I hear."

She frowned, "I'm trying, but…"

"Cassidy it's okay, it's going to take time." He told her, "We're all just glad you're alive."

"What happened?" She asked him.

He looked at her, "I'm not-"

"Steve please…" She told him, "I need to know. Everything."

He stared at her and looked around for something. He found her personal belongings and started going through her purse. He pulled out the moleskin notebook, " Little over a year ago you told me you were tired of keeping things locked inside." He stared at the notebook and handed it to her, "You also said sometimes what's inside isn't able to get out through speech."

She took the book and looked at him as he continued, "So you started writing everything down, big or small."

"I remember that, it was just after we finished installing the new turbines, you mean that I actually kept at it." She looked at him.

"You did." He nodded, "This isn't the same notebook that you started with. This was a new one that I got you after everything that happened eight months ago. I think you might find some answers in there, but promise me something."

"Anything." She took his hand.

"Don't look in it unless you really have to. Try to remember yourself first." He told her.

She stared at him and nodded, "Okay."

He smiled at her, "How are you feeling other then completely overwhelmed?"

"Sore, I feel like I got hit by a truck." She leaned back in the bed.

"Well getting shot usually does." He told her.

She laughed, "You would know."

They continued talking not knowing that Tony was outside the hall listening. His face burned. Why was it so easy for the Captain to just walk in and be there for her?

* * *

**Annnnnnnd please don't hurt me.**

**NTK**


	16. Chapter 16

***looks back and forth for the assassins* I don't have much time, but I hope you enjoy the chapter, let's just say things are about to get interesting again.**

**Own nothing.**

* * *

Another few days went by and Steve had convinced her that Tony now had her best interest in mind. He had someplace to be but told her that if she really needed him she only had to call.

She was sitting in the car with Tony as he drove to Rhode Island. He had apologized for the way he treated her before and told her that she had told him everything. He seemed sincere but she wasn't so sure.

She told him they were fine, but she would just need some time.

He pulled up to the house and parked, "Well…"

"Yeah…" She looked at it and swallowed.

"We can go somewhere else." He told her sensing her uneasiness, "I mean anywhere…"

"No this is fine." She looked at him, "It's just been a while."

"Me too." Tony nodded looking at her and hopped out of the car. He went to her side and opened the door and helped her out.

Once inside they both just stood in the doorway, "Welcome home Mr. Stark." Jarvis chimed in.

"Thank you Jarvis." Tony looked at Cassidy, "I'm going to get the bags, do you need help to your room?"

"I should be fine." Cassidy told him, "Tougher then I look."

"I know." He smiled a little and walked out to the car sighing. Everything was just awkward between them again he hated it.

Cassidy walked around the bottom floor looking at everything. It had all stayed the same. She had heard once Tony graduated he never came back here, but she didn't know if it was true.

She walked into the study and stood there. She shut her eyes her head suddenly feeling foggy.

Tony walked back inside and set the bags down, "Cassidy?" He started walking around looking for her, "Jarvis, where's Cassidy?"

"The study sir."

Tony stopped for a moment then kept going, "Cassidy." He turned down the hall where the study was located. His eyes got wide when he saw feet lying in the hall, "Cassidy!"

He turned in the room and knelt down next to Cassidy, "Cass." He picked her up.

"Hm?" Her eyes fluttered open, "What happened?"

"I don't know I found you here." He scooped her up like she was nothing and started down the hall, "I'm taking you to the hospital."

"No…No more hospitals." She whispered to him, "I just…got light headed."

He looked at her in his arms, she looked so tired. He sighed and nodded, "Alright but if it persists I'm taking you back and we need to at least call the doctor." He started up the stairs to the bedrooms.

She nodded, "Alright…"

He looked at her.

"What?" She raised her eyebrows.

"Hm? What?" He asked as he made it to the second floor.

"You're staring." She told him.

"Oh…sorry…just thinking." He looked away.

"About?" She prodded, which surprised him. Literally the entire stay at the hospital she wanted nothing to do with him. Not that he blamed her, she remembered him being a complete ass, not her friend. Maybe she was starting to feel comfortable.

"About carrying you like this." He looked back at her, "Back in the day... I used to daydream bringing you up the stairs just like this, but under different circumstances."

She lifted her head from his shoulder, "You…you did?"

"Yes I did." He told her, "I was very romantic back in my youth."

"You never showed it." She smiled a little, "It was mostly 'Cass let's go to the movies' or 'Let's go to the shop!'"

"Yeah well I wasn't as suave as I am now." He walked into a bedroom and set her down on the bed, "Now can I get you anything?"

She looked at him in front of her, "I think I'm alright, well, other than my things."

"Right things, I will get your bag for you." He nodded, "Just rest alright."

"Tony I'm not broken." She told him.

"No but you are fragile." He told her and turned walking out. He grabbed her things and walked back upstairs to her room. When he walked in he saw her already asleep.

He smiled setting her bag down. He walked over pulled the covers back and tucked her in. He sat on the edge of the bed and moved her hair from her face. He leaned down and kissed her forehead, "Sleep well Cassandra."

The next few days they adjusted and got into a routine. Tony would get up and make breakfast then head down to the shop. Cassidy would make an easy lunch and call him up. Then Tony would help Cassidy with some therapy before dinner.

"Come on you're doing good." Tony told her, "But I know you can do better than that."

"I can't do it better than this." She told him.

"Yes you can, remember you're tougher then you look." He smirked.

"Oh my god I am going to kill you." She growled at him.

"Lift it higher." He came up behind her and put his hands under her arms and moved them slowly.

"Ow…ow…ow…ow Tony! Tony!" She dropped the weights in her hands and pulled her arms to her chest.

He looked at her and put a hand on her back, "You want some ice."

"I want to punch you in face." She glared at him.

He looked at her and stepped away, "Should I be worried here?"

"I told you I couldn't do it and you just had to push it." She sat down.

He crossed his arms, "The only way you're going to get stronger is if you push yourself a little."

"Well I don't want a push Tony!" She shouted at him, "God…" She stood up and walked out.

He let his arms fall and started to follow her tripping over one of the weights he cursed, "Cassidy, come on, I'm just trying to help."

She was on the stairs and turned to look at him, "Just leave me alone okay, just…give me some space." She watched him stop defeated.

"Alright…you want some dinner?" He put his hand on the handrail.

"Not hungry." She walked up the stairs and went to her room. Her chest felt like it was torn open. She sat down at the vanity and pulled off her shirt. She struggled as it got caught on her hair clip. When she pulled it off and looked in the mirror she screamed.

Tony bolted up the stairs and ran into her room, "Cassidy!" He looked around the room and saw her in the corner, "Cassidy what is it what's wrong?" he walked over to her.

She had her hands to the sides of her head, "Loki."

* * *

**Soooo...thoughts?**

**NTK**


	17. Chapter 17

**Enjoy I really did.**

**Own nothing.**

* * *

Tony whipped around looking at the room his heart pounding against his chest. There was no one there. He turned back to Cassidy, "Cass…"

"He was here…" She looked at him terrified, "I'm not crazy, I saw him in the green with the horned crown and that creepy smile."

"I'm not saying you are," He knelt down in front of her putting his hands on her shoulders, "There just isn't anyone else here."

She looked into Tony's eyes seeing the concern written in them, "I remembered him…I remember talking with him…"

Tony's chest tightened and he frowned, "Yeah, well he's not an easy guy to forget."

She sniffed and moved her hand under her nose, it felt wet. Pulling away to look at it she saw red, "Tony…" A sharp pain radiated through her skull and down her spine.

Tony didn't ask questions he just scooped her up and ran out of the room. He put her in the car and took off to the nearest hospital. They got them in right away.

Once in the room Cassidy was insisting that they could leave, "I'm fine Tony."

"No you're not." He told her pacing, "You're seeing people who aren't here anymore and then suddenly get punched in the face by a headache, that is not fine."

She rolled her eyes and sighed sitting up in the bed.

"Cassidy this is for your own good, I just want you to be healthy."

"Were we dating?"

He stopped as if a wall suddenly appeared before him and looked at her, "What?"

She sat on the bed playing with her nails, "Were we dating?"

"Uh…" He swallowed and put his hands in his pockets, "No we…we weren't…dating." His heart thumped against his chest wildly.

She nodded slowly, "Then what were we? I just…I suddenly have had all these different emotions and flashes of places running through my mind." She looked at him, "Dinners, late night walks…"

"Yeah, yeah I mean we did that…" He nodded, "You know as friends, like, two…three times a week."

She smiled at him, "I see."

"You know two to three times a week or eight months." He re-clarified.

She stared at him, "That's around 70 outings."

"Mmhmm, give or take." He looked away from her and scratched the back of his head.

"Did you want them to be dates?"

He cleared his throat, "Uh, Cass, where is this coming from?"

"Answer the question." She stared at him.

He opened his mouth to say something when the doctor walked in the room. Tony was secretly relieved and angry all at the same time.

He sighed, he didn't know what to tell her honestly. At the time, he was content just hanging out with her. His best friend, but now looking back he wished there had been more to those late night walks.

The doctor released her later with instructions to take a few days off. He told them that he couldn't find a reason why her nose started bleeding and the headaches would be normal because of the incident. Also remembering intense memories would be normal.

The two of them drove home in silence and it was only broken when Jarvis greeted them through the door.

Tony glanced at her as he threw his keys in the bowl near the door, "You should get some rest."

She nodded and looked at him, "Yeah…"

"I'm glad you're alright." He told her.

Cassidy stepped up to him and hugged him, "Me too, thanks…"

He looked down at her and put his arms around her, "Always…" He breathed in her hair and smiled.

"Goodnight Tony." She let go of him and started for the stairs.

He stood there watching her leave, "Night." He sighed and headed for the basement. He was too riled up to go to sleep. He sat down at a work bench and started working on a secret project.

Cassidy tossed and turned in her bed that night. Whispers floated around her mind.

_You'll face death before you come back to me._

_You'll be my escape if I fail._

_You will rise to fall._

_"Dear Cassandra." Loki looked at her in the pent house of Stark tower, "Your mind will belong to me." He touched her face, "And I will use it to exact my means."_

She sat up in a cold sweat. Her heart thumping against her chest she crawled out of bed and staggered toward the door, "Tony…" She hit the door.

_"You will be my tool."_

"Jarvis…" She opened the door, "Get Tony…"

Tony was blaring his music in the basement as he welded something together. Jarvis turned down the music, "Jarvis what are you doing?" The computer screen flipped to security footage of Cassidy stumbling down the hall toward his room.

It took Tony a moment to realize what was going on. He bolted from the basement, "Cassidy!" he shouted as he got to the main floor and ran up the stairs to the second floor. She was standing in the hall in her pajamas.

"Cassidy." Tony looked at her. Her back was to him, "Cassidy what is it? Did you see something again?" He said a little winded.

She turned her head and glanced back at him, "Tony…"

"Cass?" He walked toward her and she turned and hugged him tightly and started to cry. He didn't know what to do for her, "It's okay. You're okay." He glanced at his watch, it was 3 in the morning, "Come on lets get you back to bed."

"No." She shook her head, "I don't want to sleep…"

He held her and nodded, "Alright, come on." He picked her up and smiled, "We still haven't caught a movie yet have we?"

They sat on the couch of the living area watching an old film they saw from their youth.

"Oh my god Tony this is horrible." Cassidy popped some popcorn in her mouth.

"It's pure genious!" He told her, "Having sunglasses that tell you that the world has been taken over by aliens, I need to work on those. We need to work on those. Aliens are probably among us."

She laughed, as he quoted his favorite line "I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass... and I'm all out of bubblegum."

He looked at her and smiled at her resting her head on his shoulder, "You alright?"

She looked up at him, "Yeah…thanks."

He nodded, "Anything for you."

She leaned up and kissed him. Her face got hot realizing what she did, "Uh…" she looked at him pulling away, "Sorry I-"

Tony didn't let her finish. He just kissed her. He felt fire run through his veins. Something he hadn't felt in a long time.

She took a deep breath through her nose as they parted. She swallowed her heart thumping against her chest, "uh…"

"Yeah…" He put his hand on her cheek.

She touched his hand and kissed him again this time it wasn't just a kiss it was the kiss she wanted for 20 years.

Tony was pushed into the back of the couch as she crawled into his lap. He remembered this a lot differently when they were younger and less experienced.

Her face was red when she pulled away and she was biting her bottom lip. She stared at him and smiled shyly which made him more wild for her.

She touched his chest and he suddenly became very aware of his arc reactor. The only other person who'd even really seen him with it was Pepper.

She smiled at him and kissed him feeling his hands touch her hips.

He looked at her when she pulled away to take a breath, "Cassidy…I need to tell you something…"

"Now?" She looked at him like he was crazy.

"Uh…" he swallowed making a face. Going from yes now to ehh maybe later several times. Finally he sighed shutting his eyes, "Yes…now…" Pepper had warned him severely of the consequences if he did things in the wrong order.

She looked at him, "Okay, what is it?"

He sat up some with her still on his lap, "I don't want to screw this up with you." He started, "When you got shot…for me…" He became serious with her, "You told me to tell her how I felt."

She stared at him, "Oh…I…"

"So I'm going to." He told her watching her face.

"Right of course you are." She nodded and started to move feeling her heart sink, "You should…Pepper will be happy to hear it."

He held her where she was and stared at her, "Not Pepper."

She looked at him and settled back down as he continued, "Pepper's nice…but…she's not you."

He smiled watching her face change from heartache to what he could only think was happy, "Cassidy…" She kissed him, "Mmm! God…let me finish…" He smirked at her.

"Right sorry, sorry. Please continue." She told him.

"Well now I don't want to, you've completely ruined it for me." He sighed leaning back into couch.

"Tony!" She punched him in the arm.

"What?" He looked at her smirking, "You've obviously know something I don't."

"Tony…" She said in a warning tone. When he only smirked at her she started to get up, "Fine then."

"Okay okay…" He sat back up pulling her down into his lap and smiled at her, "Cassidy…" He stared into her eyes, "I love you."

Her heart swelled as she teared up and smiled, "Can I kiss you know?"

"I would hope so I just told yoummm." He was cut off. He felt like he was going to burst from the seams with how he was feeling. He held her tightly to him and stood up holding her.

She giggled as he walked her upstairs, "Are you seducing me Mr. Stark?"

"I think I covered that already." He smirked walking into his room and shut the door.

* * *

**That's right...lets put a tie on that doorknob.**

**NTK**


	18. Chapter 18

**What is going on with Cass? Will we ever know? We shall see...**

**Own nothing.**

* * *

Tony opened his eyes slowly taking a deep breath find that he had pressure against his chest. He looked down and smiled seeing a mess of black hair. He moved the hair away from Cassidy's face.

"Do you need me to move?" She asked not opening her eyes.

"Don't even think about it." He told her, "I like you just where you're at."

She looked at him her blue eyes twinkling, "What are you thinking?"

He took a deep breath and let it out, "That I haven't felt like this in a while."

"A while..." She smirked, "I think I got you beat."

"You don't even know how long a while is." He looked at her.

She continued to smirk, "For you, a month, if that."

He rolled his eyes but didn't deny it, "And you go me beat?"

"6 years." She laughed watching his mouth drop.

"How the hell are you so happy all the time?" He looked at her.

She shrugged sitting up looking at him, "Not everything's about sex Tony."

"No but it certainly makes life nicer." He told her looking her over and smirked, "6 years really?"

She nodded and smiled getting up, "I was tired of reporters trying to dig up dirt on you. So I stopped going out with people."

He was starting to have trouble paying attention as she walked over to his dresser, "Reporters?"

She pulled out one of his band shirts and pulled it over her head, "Yeah they'd send their hot shot reporter to seduce me, get me drunk, and then whooo me to bed to get my secrets about you." She turned putting her hands on her hips, "never worked though, didn't drink, so only they got drunk, whoo me again never worked, and my secrets go into a small book not in the note pads of stupid boys who want a leg up on the food chain."

He smirked at her getting up pulling on a pair of sweats, "You never told anyone anything."

"Nope." She watched him walk over to her.

"Really? Not one thing?" He put his hands on her sides.

She smirked, "Well I might've let one thing slip."

"Oh, should I be worried?" He raised his eye brows curious.

"No, unless you don't want to be remembered for your genius work of the robots at MIT." She told him.

He smiled boastfully, "You liked that?"

"Very hot." She nodded.

"I could make you a robot, you know, if you wanted one." He told her smiling.

She let out a laugh, "You're too cute."

"I know that." He told her as she walked away, "Why this time though?"

"Because you're trying to tempt me with a robot." She crawled on the bed looking for something.

Tony tilted his head watching her from behind, "What's wrong with robots?"

"Tony."

"Hm?" He was off in his own world.

She wasn't moving, "Are you singing?"

"What? No." He looked at her, "Cass?"

She sat up on the bed and looked back at him giving him a scared look, "Tony…"

He walked over to her, "What do you hear?"

She shook her head, "It's soft, irish or something…I don't know…"

"Alright…here's what we're going to do…"

"I'm not going to hospital Tony." She looked at him, "They're not going to find anything." The soft male voice sang softly around her making her hair stand on end.

"If they can catch it they can find it." He took her hand, "Come on up."

She pulled her hand from him, "No." She shook her head.

"Cassidy this isn't an option." Tony's face went hard.

"Tony I'm not going." She moved to get off the bed.

He looked at her then in one movement he had her over his shoulder and started for the door.

"Tony put me down!" She yelled at him and hit his bare back, "Tony!"

"Yah! Ah!" He shifted from the sting of skin on skin contact. He walked into her room and grabbed her some pants and walked back in the hall toward the stairs.

She screamed again as he continued toward the door. He opened it and stepped back looking at Steve, "Oh hey Cap what are you doing here?"

"Uh…" Steve got a strange look on his face.

"Oh my god Steve!" Cassidy looked over Tony's soldier, "Help me!"

Steve looked at Tony hard, Tony stared back at him, "Get out of my way I'm taking her to the hospital."

"The hospital?" Steve looked at Cassidy then to Tony, "What's going on?"

"Nothing is going on."

"She's hearing things and seeing people, mainly psycho horned demigods."

"Loki?" Steve looked at him, "You want me to drive."

"Nah I got it." Tony walked down the steps.

"Steve! Tony!" She screamed and looked at Steve for help, "Please I don't want to go!"

Steve frowned then to Tony, "Is taking really necessary? Couldn't we just monitor her ourselves."

"I would do that." Tony twirled around walking back up to Steve Cassidy bouncing on his shoulder, "Except I don't have any of the equipment here."

"Then lets go to Stark Tower, it's supposed to be impressive right?" Cassidy told them.

Tony turned because her voice was behind and then turned back to Steve and put her down in front of him, "I'm assuming you don't remember that the certain demigod that's haunting you pretty much destroyed Stark Tower."

"All of it?" She frowned.

"Well not all of it…" He looked at his hand.

"Tony you said it yourself that you have the best equipment there, we can figure something out…I'd rather be with you then at a hospital." She took his hands in hers.

"I would be at the hospital with you." He looked at her.

"You know what I mean." She frowned, "I'm tired of hospitals."

Steve looked at the pair. Something was different between the two of them. Steve sighed, "Well we need to make up our minds quick, someone's going to catch a cold the way she's dressed."

They both looked at Steve confused.

Cassidy looked down at her bare legs and blushed grabbing her pants from Tony and went behind him pulling them on.

Tony looked at his bare chest, "So worried about her health and not mine?"

"That's about it." Steve crossed his arms.

"Boys, enough."

"Yes mother." Tony smirked and looked at her then sighed, "Alright we can go to Stark Tower, but if things get worse meaning, you hear…see…and start to hurt…you're going to the hospital."

She sighed and looked at Steve. He shook his head at her, "Don't look at me, I would've stopped at the second one."

"Really just after see, alright I amend my previous statement." Tony looked at her, "See and hear."

"Oh my god…" She turned around and got in the car.

Tony smirked and looked at Steve, "You coming?"

"If you don't mind."

"It wouldn't matter if I minded, she'd kill me if I didn't let you come." He glanced at the bike Steve rode, "You better ride behind, I'll let them know you're coming."

Steve nodded and walked to his bike.

* * *

**Thanks for reading. Please review to let me know what you think!**

**NTK**


	19. Chapter 19

**Sorry for not updating like I used to, been a little sick and busy. Sorry that this chapter is also super short. **

**Own nothing...**

* * *

They arrived at Stark Tower by mid-morning. Tony yawned as he pulled into his parking spot in the garage.

"Tired?" Cassidy looked at him.

"It's been a rough couple of weeks." He looked at her, "Well worth all the trouble though."

She smiled at him then hopped out of the car suddenly when Steve pulled up and parked next to them, "Hey!"

Steve looked up at her surprised.

"Where is your helmet!" She glared at him.

Tony got out of the car and smirked at the Captain, "Cap doesn't need a helmet, there's nothing important in that melon of his."

Steve rolled his eyes, "Har har." He looked back at Cassidy, "Left it at a friend's."

Satisfied she walked over and hugged him, "It's good to see you."

Steve smiled at her and glanced at Tony who shifted uneasily as he got back into the car to grab a bag and some sandals, "It's good to see you to Cassidy.

Tony pulled on a shirt that was in the bag. In the haste of everything didn't bother getting dress, luckily he always kept a bag in his car since a certain incident occurred in his early twenties.

Cassidy walked over to him, "I'm excited to see this place."

Tony looked at her, "You work on one of the floors we're going to." She looked at him surprised.

"Tony…" Steve looked at him.

"What?" He looked at Steve then back to Cassidy when he finally realized, "Oh…well yeah you work for me now. Sorry…" Things had progressed somewhat fast between them this last week that he'd forgotten that she was only remembering snidbits of what happened the last year.

"I work here?" Cassidy looked at him, "Like really work here?"

"Yes you really work here. Took you six months for you to finally apply but yes you do." He smiled and started for the elevator, "You pretty much run a department."

"Tony you're supposed to let her remember herself." Steve chided.

"People know her here, I just want her to be prepared." He looked at him.

"A department!" She said excitedly.

"Don't get too excited, it wasn't official or anything." Tony pressed the up button once everyone was on the elevator, "But you are the first person I go to and you did tell everyone they were wrong and you were right and that they should bow down before your mightiness." He watched her expression change from excited to concern, "I'm kidding." He laughed.

"That's not funny Tony." She punched him in the arm.

He rubbed his arm, "You know I wouldn't have minded if you forgot about hitting me when you get angry. Your fingers are so boney."

She looked at him then smirked, "Fine, my boney fingers will never touch you again."

"Good." He stopped realizing what she meant, "Wait, no that's not-"

The door opened and she walked out leaving them behind.

Tony looked at Steve, "I screwed up didn't I?"

Steve shrugged, "I don't know, I wasn't really listening." He stepped of the elevator leaving Tony alone.

"Alright this is my tower and you all are supposed to be nice to me because I invited-" The door started to close, he stepped off quickly glaring at the door, "Even my building is turning against me."

"What floor is are we on?" He heard Cassidy ask across the room.

"Third floor from the top." Tony set his things down, "The medical research lab."

Steve smirked watching Cassidy cringe, she thought she was home free, "It's alright kiddo it's for your own good."

"Maybe I'm just remembering. Maybe I was that scared of him." She frowned looking up at Steve.

Tony watched Steve hug her across the room as he started turning some equipment on, he had a burning sensation in his chest again.

"Cassidy, we'll run some test to be sure, because maybe you're right and we won't find anything and you're just remembering. You never really told anyone what happened with you and Loki." Steve smiled, "But worst case scenario…"

"He did something to me?" She looked at him scared.

He sighed and nodded, "Yeah…but we're here for you."

"I know you are, it's just…We know what he did to Barton and Selvig and I just don't want to hurt anyone." She looked at him sadly.

"I could just hit you in the head." Steven smiled.

Cassidy took a step back from him, "I'll take my chances with him." She pointed at Tony and started walking toward him.

"Hm? Me what?" Tony looked at her as she approached him.

"Oh Steve suggested hitting me on the head." She smiled.

Tony looked over at the approaching Captain, "Did he now?"

Steve was happy to see that Tony was protective of her, so he raised his hands in defense, "Just following Agent Romanov's example."

"Uh huh…" Tony rolled his eyes and looked back to Cassidy, "Since we have eaten since noon yesterday, I figured we'd run some test first then grab a bite, sound good?"

Cassidy nodded and sighed, "Okay, direct me where to go sir."

Tony looked at her and took her to a chair, "Just relax, none of this is going to hurt but it might give you a headache afterwards."

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**Help me feel better give me an ego boost with a review! Thanks for reading!**

**NTK**


	20. Chapter 20

**Again sorry for not updating been super busy lately. Thanks for bearing with me!**

**Own nothing!**

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Ironman landed on the Stark Tower platform bag in hand. He walked inside rubbing a hand through his hair. He'd flown back to the Rhode Island house to get some things for Cassidy and himself.

He smiled seeing the Captain reading on the couch near the fireplace, next to him Cassidy was curled up asleep.

"How long as she been asleep?" Tony walked over and knelt next to her.

Steve set down the magazine he was reading, "She passed out pretty much after you left."

"Did she complain about anything?" He moved her hair from her face.

Steve looked at him, "She complained of a small headache earlier."

Tony nodded looking at Cassidy, "That's natural."

Steve nodded and watched him stand up, "When will the test results be done?"

"Tomorrow sometime." Tony moved over toward the bar, "Hopefully the morning, the blood work will take a little longer though."

Steve watched him make a drink and stood up walking over to him, "Just so you know, you ever hurt her I'll kill you." He took a seat on a barstool.

Tony stopped and looked at him, "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." Steve stared at him.

"I did." Tony held the glass in his hand, "And oddly enough I feel threatened."

"You should, it's a promise." Steve smirked.

Tony put the glass down and looked at Steve seriously, "I've lost her in three ways now, first I thought she, my best friend and more, stabbed me in the back. I pushed her away and made it my life's intent to destroy her. Next a psycho demi god stole her from me, and then she took a bullet for me and died in my arms." Tony looked down at his hands, "For three minutes I felt my world crash around me. It was like the colors just faded and everything got cold."

Steve watched him not saying anything. He'd never heard Tony talk like this before. He let him continue, "I can guarantee you Mr. Rogers that I would never intentionally hurt Cassandra Voltolini again. I've done that enough and now I plan to make sure she's happy and well cared for. Whether that is with me, or you, or some random joe."

Steve nodded and sighed a little, "That's good to hear."

Tony nodded and picked is glass back up, "Can I get anything? I know you can't get drunk but it still taste good."

"Yeah, sure." They continued to talk quietly unaware that someone was listening silently smiling that her two favorite people were actually getting along.

The next day the results came in and revealed nothing. Tony was convinced that one of his devices would in fact give them results they decided to stay there. A few days later the Cassidy was in her department working on a small project.

She stared at her book of secrets as she worked out an equation on another piece of paper. She was almost in a trance as there was a beeping noise on her computer. She snapped her head up and looked at it.

She smiled and clicked accept, "Yes Tony?"

"Just checking on you." He smiled, "Do you need anything?"

"I'm fine Tony, I'm not over exerting myself. I have been sitting here working." She told him.

"Working on what?" He asked curiously. He wanted to be there himself, but she insisted on having some space for a while after being poked and prodded so much.

"Secret." She smirked, "But since I have you here, do we have any vibranium?"

He looked at her strangely, "Uh, not nearby…it's mostly somewhere in Africa. Well besides Cap's shield."

"Do you think he'd let me barrow it?" She said looking down at her work.

"I don't know you'd have to ask him. Why do you need vibranium?" He looked at her, "What are you working on?"

"Not important…" She looked at him, "Do you know where Steve is at?"

"He's actually here with me." Tony moved the screen over his voice carrying over, "Say hi Cap."

Steve looked up from the desk he was at and smiled at Cassidy and waved, "She has a question for you." Tony told him.

Steve's face lit up a little and walked over, "What do you need?" He still wasn't used of this talking through a screen thing.

Cassidy smiled, "Can I barrow your shield?"

"My shield? What for?" He was very protective of his shield.

"Just a little experiment." She smiled, "I promise it'll come back in one piece."

He shifted uneasily and nodded, "Okay, I'll grab it for you."

"Thank you!" She smiled, "If you could bring it here as soon as possible that would be great."

"I'll be right there." He looked over at Stark, "She's pushy."

"Always has been." Tony chuckled off screen as she watched Steve walk away.

"I am not pushy!" She told them.

"Yeah okay." Tony came into view, "So can you tell me please what you're working on."

"No it's a secret." She shook her head as he protested, "Goodbye Tony." She turned off the screen and looked back at the equation.

She started working through it again as she waited for the Captain to bring her his shield. She started to hum softly to herself the tune that was playing through her head.

She frowned suddenly staring at it then put it through the computer. It ran through the process quickly the word negative flashing on the screen.

"Even with the element…and the vibranium…it won't open…"

"Are you sure? Perhaps you're wrong."

"I could run it a million times it won't work." She shivered at the eloquent voice that spoke to her.

"Then you are of no use to me."

She felt a pressure just above her eyes, "Loki…"

"You've brought this on yourself stupid girl. If you can't help me out of this prison," Loki growled at her, "then I'll destroy what you love to do most."

"Ah…" She leaned against the desk. Squinting at the computer she opened the video chat to Tony. She fell below the desk.

Tony floated onto the screen, "So gonna tell me what you're doing now?" He waited for her to walk on the screen, "Cass?"

He could only make a few small words, "Hospital…now…" He bolted for the door.

Steve walked into the lab with his shield, "You should know I'm having second thoughts about this Cassidy." He looked around, "Cassidy?" He walked over to her desk and saw her convulsing on the floor, "Cassidy!"

He knelt down not knowing what to do except pushing everything away from her. He heard the door slam open, "Cassidy!"

"Tony!" Steve shouted at him.

Tony ran over kneeling down and putting his hands on either side of her head, "Cass can you hear me? Cass!" He looked at Steve, "We gotta get to the hospital. Grab her." He ran to the elevator and started pressing the button frantically, "Jarvis! Override the elevators I need it now!" He looked back at Steve who had Cassidy in his arms, "Come on!" The door opened and the got on.

"Jarvis I need to get to parking garage now not later nowhoa!" The elevator started speeding downward then slowed and opened to the garage.

They ran to his car, "Put her in the back, make sure she doesn't choke." Tony told Steve as he jumped in the front. Once settled enough he took off into the streets cutting people off as he headed for the hospital.

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**Again thanks for reading!**

**NTK**


	21. Chapter 21

**Oh my gawd! You guys are amazing! Over a thousand hits in one day! Squeeee! Thank you! The story is starting to dwindle down to it's ending points but I'm planning on writing a Captain fic pretty soon that will feature our dear Tony and Cassidy as a couple so check it out once it's posted. Lol, small sneak peek ish of it at the end.**

**Own nothing!**

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Tony stood in the dark hospital room looking out the window at the sunset setting across the city. He sighed drumming his fingers against his arc reactor. They finally found something. A black spot, a tiny one, the size of a pinhead.

It wasn't a tumor, thank god for small favors. The doctors said that part of her brain just died, like it decided to just shut off without any explanation.

Tony had reviewed the security footage of the lab. It concerned him greatly. Cassidy had been talking to someone in rapid succession. It was a coherent conversation, but he didn't know what she was talking about. Then she just collapsed. It played over and over in his head.

Loki…he felt his jaw tightened.

"Tony?" He turned his head at the tired voice.

He smiled a little and walked over to Cassidy, "Hey, how are you feeling?"

"Uh…"She looked at him tiredly, "Little confused…" She looked down at her chest, "Everything is…is uh…"

"It's okay." Tony sat on the edge of the bed, "The doctors said everything is going to be okay. The only explanation they have is you had a stroke."

"It wasn't a stroke…it was Loki…" She stared at him.

He nodded. He believed her. Who knew what Asgardians could do? They could be capable of anything.

"You didn't get hurt did you?" She looked at him concerned.

"What?" He looked at her confused.

"I…I pushed you when I saw the gun…right into the bar." She told him.

He stared at her, "You remember that?" She nodded, "And after getting shot and having your head messed with you're concerned about me skinning my knees?" He smirked.

She smiled, "They're very nice knees."

"Well…" He looked away smirking, "I can't deny that fact."

"Is knees a euphemism?" They both looked over at Steve who had some coffee in his hands.

"Well it wasn't until you said something." Tony smirked, "Now it is." He looked back at Cassidy who put her hand to her face blushing like mad, "What?"

"God I hate you sometimes." She mumbled.

"No you don't, otherwise you would've left a long time ago." Tony winked at her.

She looked at him rolling her eyes then looked at Steve, "Sorry about him he's an ass sometimes."

Steve smiled walking over to her as Tony tried to defend himself, "I knew that."

"Yeah? And yet you're still here…" She smiled at him.

"Well I don't stick around for him." Steve smiled at her.

"I am hurt, seriously." Tony stood up, "What am I just, just…" he tried to find the words.

"A hot man it a suit." Cassidy smiled.

Tony looked at her then into her eyes, "Those drugs must be kicking in…"

"I thought they were taking her off them." Steve sipped his coffee.

"Yeah…" Tony was stumped, "Are you feeling alright?"

"I can't compliment you?" Cassidy asked him leaning back into her pillow.

He stared at her, "No…normally it's 'Tony don't be a jerk!' Whap hit me in arm." He mocked her.

"Give me a break…I can barely tell what my timeline is right now…" She looked at him, "I mean it feels like I was just walking the streets of New York City with you, but it also feel like well…a few days ago after a watching a horrible 80s movie."

He stared at her smiling. She remembered quite a bit it seemed, which was a good sign, "You should rest then."

She pouted and looked at Steve, "Will you be here when I wake up?"

Steve smiled, "I can be if you want."

"You too?" She looked at Tony.

"I'll even be here while you sleep." He leaned down and kissed her head.

She blushed and nodded, "Okay." Shutting her eyes she sighed, then they snapped opened, "Wait!" They both looked at her concerned, "My notebook…Tony you have to get it, you have to put it someplace safe someplace where no one can find it."

"What notebook?" he looked at her confused.

"My book of secrets." She told him, "They held a lot more than just things I couldn't say. Things like theories…that could hurt people…bring people here." She swallowed.

"People …" he nodded, "I'll do it. I'll go back now and put it away in my…"

"Don't tell me…I don't know if I'm safe to tell." She looked afraid again.

Steve reached out taking her hand, "Hey it's okay. We know it's not your fault that you ran those experiments to bring him here…" She had explained to them when she first woke up hours ago what she had been doing.

She looked at Steve then to Tony, "I can't remember the processes I took to even run the idea of bringing Loki here. I can't even picture equations…even one's that don't pertain to it." She frowned.

Tony nodded, "We'll get you back on your feet in time Cass, but right now you just need to focus on getting better. No more work for a while, that's why when you can be released we're taking a vacation."

Steve smiled since he suggested the idea.

"A vacation?" She raised an eyebrow, "Where?"

"It's a secret…because I know you'll say no to it, but you can't blame me it wasn't my idea. It was his." He pointed at Steve.

She looked at Steve, he raised his hands in defense, "Hey, you need it trust me."

"I don't like surprises." She told them glaring. They both smiled at her not saying a word, "God if you both weren't so cute I'd bolt." She sighed shutting her eyes to sleep.

"I'm going to go do that thing." She heard Tony tell Steve.

"Alright, I'll stay with her." Steve told him.

"You better, no running away to your gypsy girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend, and she's Romani." Steve said irritated.

"Wait what?" Her eyes opened looking at Steve, "Okay you gotta spill now."

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**Lol Steve involved with the Romani? Ha...oh dear...tell me something folks, I'm not finished with this story, but I have a few crazy ideas rolling around my head for Tony and Cass, but not sure how extreme is too extreme...should I do it? Or should I just wrap it up and end it?**

**Thanks for reading!**

**NTK**


	22. Chapter 22

**Muwhaha...that is all.**

**Own nothing...**

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va·ca·tion [vey-key-shuhn, vuh-]

noun

a period of suspension of work, study, or other activity, usually used for rest, recreation, or travel; recess or holiday: Schoolchildren are on vacation now.

It was just that. A wonderful 'period of suspension' in which they, Cassidy and Tony, used for 'rest', 'recreation', and 'travel'.

She smiled as the plane landed back in the United States smoothly. As much as she enjoyed the sunny beach and shaded woods that hid them from the world for a few weeks, she was glad to be home. She looked over at Tony who was sleeping in his chair sunglasses firmly planted on his face.

She smirked when the plane stopped and got up moving over to him. She sat down gently in his lap and whispered, "Tony?"

"Hm…" He sniffed in his sleep moving slightly at the weight of her sitting on his lap.

She smiled at him and continued whispering, "Tony it's time go."

"…mm…mm…" He was mumbling something incoherently.

"We're going to be late." She leaned close to his ear, "I mean you do want to see what was in that bag, don't you?"

"Hm?"

"You know the black bag that you couldn't see into…the one with the from the lingerie shop…" She watched his reaction.

"Oh you mean this bag?" He held up a black bag in the aisle smirking.

She stared at the bag then looked at him, "You like to ruin everything don't you?"

"How am I ruining anything?" He peered over the sunglasses, "I have a beautiful woman in my lap who is trying to seduce me while I sleep. I think that is a wonderful thing."

She grabbed the bag from him, "You peeked didn't you."

"Does it matter?" He watched her get up off his lap, "It will look completely different on then off."

She glared at him shaking her head, "You're an ass."

"Yes I am, we've established this, if you don't like it…" He stood up smirking at her.

"I do though…that's problem." She turned from him crossing her arms huffing in frustration.

Tony smiled watching her pout and walked up behind her and hugged her. Leaning down he kissed her neck, "I didn't peek, it would have ruined the surprise. However…" He smirked watching her blush as the captain came out of the cabin, "I still say it would've been more fun to find out on white sandy beaches."

She shivered as she felt his thumbs trace the skin of her back above her jeans. It had certainly been an 'eventful' few weeks, with many 'nice knees' moments. She turned around quickly, "Tony…"

He rolled his eyes, "Believe me, he's seen worse."

"I don't care…I don't want to be a show for him." She smirked, "I want to be a show for you." She turned walking toward the door and thanked the captain for his work. He smiled at her nodding helping her out the door leaving Tony there inside his mind reeling with what she had meant by that.

Cassidy waited in the car for Tony and pulled out their phones from her purse turning them on, instantly his started buzzing full of missed calls. She rolled her eyes and started to read through them seeing what was a priority and what wasn't.

He got in the car, "What did you mean exactly 'show' for me?" He looked at her again.

"You have to go to work." She told him.

"No I don't, I still have a week off and even if I didn't I don't really have to-" He was cut off.

"No Tony…" She handed him the phone, "You have to go to work."

He looked at the phone and saw a news report. The title read, 'Marines Lost Over Seas', he started skimming through the article. He felt his throat clench up as he read one of the names, 'Lt James Rhodes'. He heard Cass tell the driver to take the quickest route to Stark Tower.

She put a hand on his arm, "I already have Jarvis breaking into what his mission was." Tony nodded and looked at her his jaw going tight. She frowned and kissed his cheek, "We'll find him."

"We? No. I will find him, you are staying here." He told her looking out the window, "I can handle this."

"He's your best friend Tony, and he was the one who helped me find you, I owe him." Cass told him, "So I'm helping."

"You're supposed to be resting." He gave her a look that said 'don't argue with me.'

"And I will be." She told him, "In Stark Tower on a phone to you, while uploading information to your suit."

He sighed taking her hand, "Just don't push yourself."

She smiled and laid her head on his shoulder, "It's going to be okay."

He cracked his neck looking out the window. He hoped she was right.

This is not how vacations were supposed to end.

As soon as they made it to the top of the tower he was suiting up. She had Jarvis upload the information to him. He walked out to the platform and turned looking back at her.

She smiled at him raising a hand and patched her voice into his suit, "Go get'em, and be safe."

"I'll be back soon with Rhodey." He turned and took off the platform.

She turned off her ear piece and watched him disappear into the horizon. She sighed, "Jarvis please keep me posted."

"Of course Ms. Voltolini." Jarvis said overhead.

She rolled her eyes, "It's Cass, please. So who's here today that I can help out?"

"Ms. Potts will be in later today as always she welcomes your assistance, the division of health and sciences are looking for volunteers for testing a new blood pressure machine, as for the other fields they are doing well on their own."

Since getting out of the hospital she'd found out that she couldn't comprehend any high form of math, which meant running calculations on densities of metals and configurations on how cars could withstand being bombed was out of the question. When she found out it took Tony a whole twenty four hours to convince her that she could still do something in this world. She still doubted it, but he made some pretty valid points.

"I guess I'll just be hanging out with you for a while Jarvis." She said sitting down on the couch next to the fireplace.

"Would you like me to put something on for you?" Jarvis inquired.

"I'm good thanks Jarvis, just concentrate on helping Tony now."

"Of course ma'am."

She sat there and sighed closing her eyes relaxing and like every time she started to relax she had to pee. She sighed pushing herself up and walked to the bathroom.

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**Thanks for reading and please review!**

**NTK**


	23. Chapter 23

**This chapter was a little hard to write. It has a very hard subject to deal with and I apologize to anyone if it hurts and brings up anything. I know it's a hard thing to handle and my heart goes out to you.**

**Own nothing.**

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Pepper Potts waited in Stark Tower doing some paper work. It'd been a week and she was still waiting for Tony to arrive. They'd gotten news late that afternoon that Lt Rhodes and his men were found by Ironman, so she assumed he would be here by evening.

And she was right, just as she was finishing up a phone call he landed on the platform on the top floor of the tower.

Her stomach went into knots almost instantly as she saw him being dismantled and walking inside. He gave her a strange look of confusion, "Pepper? What are you doing here?"

"I came to make sure you were alright." She lied.

"Pepper seriously?" He smirked, "Give me a little more credit than that…" He walked over to the bar, "So what's going on? The company in peril now. You know I just saved one of my best friends, I think I need to go on another vacation."

"Tony." He stopped pulling ice from the fridge and looked at her. She looked serious, something was going on.

"Pepper?" He looked at her then around the room, "Where's Cass?"

"She's at the Rhode Island house." She walked toward him, "There's a car waiting downstairs to take you there."

"Pepper what's going?" He didn't like this, he had a bad feeling.

"Listen to me Tony and hear me." She told him leaning against the bar, "If you react poorly to this, I will quit…and I will make your life hell, you know I can. Do you understand me?"

He stared at her letting the threat sink in and nodded, "Are you going to tell me what's going on?"

"I think it's best that you talk to Cassidy first." She told him, "I'll take care of everything here and keep you posted on Rhodey."

He nodded and walked to the elevator, "Just tell me…" he looked back at Pepper, "is she okay?"

"No Tony she's not…" Pepper frowned, "But in time she will be."

The elevator door opened. What did that mean she will be? He got on and headed for the garage. The trip the house was agonizing. He had thoughts just rolling around his head of what had happened.

He got to the house thanked the driver tipping him generously and ran inside, "Jarvis."

"The study sir." Jarvis spoke in the entrance way.

Tony didn't waste time he walked down the halls to the back of the house where the study was located. He turned and stopped in the doorway when he saw her, "Cass?"

She looked up and over at him then away quickly choking up, "Wow that was a lot harder than I thought it would be."

Looking at him was hard? Had he done something? He couldn't have, he'd left. "Cassidy what's going? Are you alright? What happened?" He started walking over slowly.

She stood up taking a few steps back. He noted her face was puffy and red from crying. She crossed her arms across one of his baggy t-shirts, "I'm…gonna be okay…" She frowned looking down then to him then away again.

He stopped looking at her intently. He just wanted to hold her, but at the moment she seemed afraid of him. He didn't know what to say to her or what to do.

"I just…I need to tell you something." She finally looked at him, "And don't know how to…"

"Cass…whatever it is…" he told her, "it's okay. We can work through it."

"See you say that…but I know you…and yet I don't…because you've changed so much the last few years." She pointed at him tearing up, "oh god…" She turned away then back putting a hand to her forehead.

Tony stood there not sure of what to do. He just watched her waiting for whatever she had to tell him.

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, looking him in the face, "I was pregnant."

He felt shock roll over him. Pregnant was the first word to register with him and sent him into a moment of panic. Then the second important word hit him just as fast, 'was'. He looked at her his mouth dropping slightly.

She could see it making sense to him now, "I miscarried…" she let her head fall as tears rushed down her face, "The..the doctor said..I would've been around four weeks…" She shuttered putting her hands to her face.

Four weeks. A month. She had been pregnant for a month. He walked over to her and hugged her tightly. She cried into him shaking in his arms. All he could do was hold her and not break down. He had to be her strength right now.

"I'm so sorry…" She cried into his chest.

"Oh god Cassidy no…" he looked at her face wiping the tears away with his thumb, "Don't do that…it's not your fault…it's not anyone's fault." She stared at him silently crying. He sighed and scooped her up, "You…just need to rest right now alright…"

She held onto him as he took her upstairs. She felt so horrible. So useless. He put her into bed. She stared at him, "Tony…"

He looked at her and swallowed, "Yeah?"

"Don't leave…please…" She took his hand.

"I'm not going anywhere." He sat down next to her. He watched her move resting her head on his chest. He put his arms around her sighing, "I'll always be here for you."

She looked at him, "Really?"

The question took him of guard. He had just spoken the words he hadn't really thought about them. He smiled and nodded, "Yes…I will be." He found it to be true, which was an odd sensation to him. He didn't often find truth out of science.

She gave him a small smile then shut her eyes tightly snuggling into him, "I love you."

He kissed her head holding her gently, "I love you too."

Tony woke up sometime later resting up against the headboard of the bed. He looked to his left and saw Cassidy curled up resting. He sighed getting up carefully wiping the sleep from his face. He pulled the covers up around Cassidy's shoulders and kissed her head.

He smiled watching her move a little from his intrusive movement. He watched her for a little while then turned walking out of the room shutting the door quietly, "Jarvis when she wakes up can you tell her I'm in the basement working."

"Of course sir."

Tony walked down the cold stairs to the basement and punched in the code to get inside. He walked over to his station turning everything on and stood there watching them come to life.

_Life…_

He felt the tears prick at his eyes first before he completely lost it. He grabbed the desk in front of him flipping it as he yelled. It didn't take long for him to grab everything around him tossing it across the room. Papers flew in the air as he sunk to the floor sobbing.

Why was this hitting him so hard? It wasn't even alive.

But he had created it…

Things he created weren't meant to be broken, especially when it was made with someone he loved. How could he fix this?

Tink…tink…tink tink tink… the sound of metal hitting the floor and scrapping as it rolled reached his ears before he felt something bump into his leg.

He looked back wiping the tears away. He picked up the round metal ball of overlapping metal. He turned in his hands before touching the top of it. It opened in slow motions blooming into a flower.

He'd made one for his mother when he was little. She had showed it to everyone. She'd been so proud that her son had made something beautiful out of the Stark legacy.

What was Tony's legacy?

What was he leaving behind?

He traced the edges of the metal petals. Certainly not metal flowers and when he was long gone, there would be no Iron Man. He had nothing but what was in front of him, which was nothing but a name.

He leaned back laying down on the cold floor and stared up at the ceiling putting the flower on his arc reactor.

In this moment he felt a change. One that scared him. He wanted to be a father. He wanted to see Cassidy pregnant. He wanted to hold his child in his arms. He wanted to be a better dad then his was.

He wanted the biggest creation of all and wanted to hold it tightly and never let it go. Spoil it, teach him, love her.

He sniffed as more tears fell down his face. He wanted a son, that he could show the world to and a daughter he could protect from the darkness of it. And he wanted Cassidy by his side the whole way.

"Tony?" A worried voice brought him out of his thoughts.

He sat up catching the flower in his hand and looked over at the door across the mess at a worried Cassidy. He scrambled to his feet, "Hey is everything alright?"

She looked around at the mess then at him, "Are you?"

He stopped for a moment and looked around seeing tables flipped, computers broken, things smashed, papers everywhere. He thought about playing it all off as a joke but stopped himself as she walked over toward him, "No, I'm not."

She nodded reaching up touching his wet face. It made her heart break seeing him in pain, "It's going to be okay."

He pulled her into a hug. Even when things were at their worst she always found the light.

"It's going to be okay." She repeated this time her voice was shaky as she wrapped her arms around him, "It's...it's going… to be…"

"It's gonna be okay." He helped her as she started to cry, "We're going to be okay."

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**...**

**NTK**


	24. Chapter 24

**We need some happy in this house. Happy not sad. **

**Own nothing!**

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Tony looked at his watch for the hundredth time. Where was Pepper? She was always early…and even though he came a half hour ahead of time, he still expected her to be here at least 15 minutes early.

"Oh finally!" he started walking toward her bouncing red hair, "What took you so long?"

She looked at him surprised, "Oh I'm sorry usually when we set up any type of meeting you're always late so I assumed that it just a normal day."

"Well this is important and needs to be handled properly." He told her taking off his sunglasses.

She rolled her eyes. Nothing was ever really important for Tony Stark, "Are you going to tell me what we're doing at the mall now?"

"I need your help with something important." Tony started walking with her, "I'm not good at this sort of thing."

"And what sort of thing is that?" She said as she texted on her phone.

"Proposing."

She stopped dead in her tracks, "What did you say?"

"I'm not good at proposing." He looked back at her surprised face, "Why is this surprising? I've never done it before, so I shouldn't be good at it. Isn't that a good thing though…only ever proposing to one person?"

"Oh my god!" She smiled putting her hands to her face, "You and Cassidy?"

"Well if she says yes…ah!" He was startled suddenly by the very affectionate Pepper hugging him.

"I cannot believe it!" She practically squealed.

Tony smirked, "I know everyone thought we would end up together."

"In your dreams maybe." She rolled her eyes, "Happy would beat you senseless."

"How is Happy doing?" He asked nicely about Pepper's new boyfriend.

She smiled, "He's doing really well, drop me off here in fact. Said he's going to get a milk shake in the food court."

"Good for him." He said twitchy like, he wasn't really one for small talk.

Pepper noticed, "So why do you need me?"

"I need…help buying the ring." He looked at her.

"You want my opinion on it?" Pepper asked truly honored and smiled.

"Well you know, you and Cassidy have some of the same interest…and petite hands…" He smiled at her, "And you're one of my closest friends."

She smiled and hugged him again, "I'd be happy to help in any way I can."

He smiled letting her go then became serious as they started walking again, "Do you think she'll actually say yes?"

Pepper looked at him and sighed. It had been rough for them the last few months since Cassidy had lost the baby. Enough so that Tony had even come to Pepper in the middle of the night several times convinced that it wasn't going to work out. Pepper had always seen in his eyes though that he didn't want to lose Cassidy again. So she reminded him each time about everything that they had went through together and talked him down, so to speak.

They always made up though and from what Pepper could tell after each incident they only seemed to get closer. Each time it was like they both realized how much they meant to each other. Each time the intensity that they looked at each other grew.

Pepper smiled, "I would be extremely surprised if she said no."

He smiled feeling a little more reassured. Then clapped his hands together, "Okay, so I need to buy the ring, but you know how I am with gifts."

"Yes I do." She smiled going back to her phone as they walked, "After getting the ring how do you plan to do it?"

He swiped her phone from her quickly.

"Tony!" She glared at him.

"I have to be sure you're not telling her anything." He looked at her, "I want it to be perfect."

"I won't tell, now give me my phone that's an important message." She told him reaching for her phone.

He held it above his head, "Will it really affect the company in a bad way if I don't give it back to you?"

"Well no but…"

"Good." He put the phone in his pocket, "Just tell them your battery died."

"Oh my god…if we weren't here for Cassidy…" She crossed her arms.

"You'd what? Hit me? Punch me? Seduce me?" He smirked.

"You are insufferable." She shook her head.

"I know but that's why you like me." He smiled as they walked into the ring shop, "Come on there are three ring stores in this place and a few down the street."

Pepper shook her head and sighed. She was happy for them, but today was going to be a long day with him. She had a feeling nothing would be 'good' enough.

It wasn't good enough.

Tony stared at the screen. He let out a long sigh silently cursing himself for not finishing his work sooner. He glanced at the clock he told her would be ready to leave in approximately five minutes time. He had the whole evening planned out and he wasn't about to let this stupid project that he insisted on doing stop him from doing it.

He heard the beeps of the door opening. He looked oven doing a double take. It was Cassidy in a pair of sweats and a hoodie, "Why aren't you ready? We're leaving in like five minutes. Is something wrong?"

"So many questions in that…" She sighed looking at him in his grey suit. She loved that suit on him, made him look so handsome, "I'm not ready because I don't really feel like going out tonight…I'm sorry." She frowned looking at him, "I'll make it up to you I promise."

He looked at her and sighed. This was the third time she'd done this to him in the past two weeks since he'd bought the ring, which now sat in his pocket heavily, "Cass…what's going on?"

"I'm just really tired…and I don't feel like going out." She said pushing something around on his desk, "Besides it looks like you have a lot of work to catch up on." She smiled at him.

He could still see the depression in her eyes sometimes. Today must've been a hard day, "Cassidy I know you've asked for time but…"

"Don't. Please don't." She told him, "I don't want to argue tonight."

"I don't want to argue with you ever." He told her.

"Pfft…" She shook her head and turned for the door, "Then we won't."

"Cassidy can we talk, please?" He started going after her.

She stopped and turned to him again nearly running into him, "Tony there isn't anything wrong. Okay? I'm just tired and not feeling up to going out."

"Will you feel up to going out the next time I plan an evening? Or was the last three attempts enough to suffice this insatiable need to whole yourself up from the world?" He knew after he said it, that it was much harsher then he intended.

She looked at him hard, "Well if you feel that I'm being greedy don't be shy about it."

"I didn't mean for it to come out like that…it's just…" He sighed.

"It's just what?" She looked at him as he looked away, "Just that you have a certain need to be always right when things don't go your way."

He looked at her and snapped, "It's not like that Cassidy, I just had a night planned for us and now I have to cancel and reschedule."

"I'm sure it won't be that hard. It's not like you were going to take me anywhere special. We always seem to go to the same place." She pointed out as she turned to leave again, "Besides you're Tony Stark, you can make anything happen."

"Except proposing to you apparently..." He watched her stop in her tracks.

She turned and looked at him, "What?"

"That's what all my planning…and wearing this suit, I know it's your favorite." He sat down sighing, "I've been trying to propose to you."

"So…so the other two…" She crossed her arms across her chest.

"Yeah…" He nodded looking down at his hands then reached into his pocket pulling out the ring box, "I guess it's more fitting bringing it up here." He looked at her smiling a little.

Her breath caught in her throat. He was being serious. Very serious, her hands found their way to her face in slight shock.

He watched her carefully and continued, "I want it. All of it. The white picket fence, the house, the crazy neighbors….a family." He told her, "And I want it all with you."

She stared at him as he stood up walking over toward her, "I want to grow old with you. I want to have children with you and watch them grow up. Not necessarily in that order, but I want it…with you." He swallowed and got down on one knee in front of her, "I wanted to do something right by you but apparently me doing things correctly and in order is out of the question." He pulled the top off of the ring box and looked up at her.

She gasped tearing up looking at the ring then to him, "Cassandra Voltolini…will you do me…the biggest honor and delight of becoming my wife?"

Silence filled the room and it made his heart stop as he stared up at her waiting.

She moved her hands away from her face staring at him, "…don't make promises you can't keep Tony…"

"I don't intend to break anything, not with you." He told her swallowing.

He watched her stunned face turn into a smile making his heart start to beat again, "Yes…"

He smiled at her, "Really?"

"Yes stupid…yes." He stood up in front of her and she hugged him, "Forever yes."

He held her tightly then pulled away looking at her, "You're my everything Cassidy. I mean that." He slipped the ring on her small finger, "I've known ever since you first came to visit me at college that you were the one."

"And it took you this long?" She wiped a tear away from her face.

"As I've said…" he made a face, "I haven't exactly done things in the correct order and also in my defense I had only just turned 16."

"Defense heard and accepted." She laughed a little and it made his heart soar, "So…about that evening…"

Tony smiled, "Waste of time really…dinner, walk, boat ride…small island beach proposal…" He had thought about it for a long time.

"I'm sorry." She frowned touching his face, "We can do it over…if you want."

"No." He smiled and kissed her, "I wouldn't have this any other way. The surprise on your face is what I wanted to see along with the happiness."

She smiled at him and hugged him tightly. She'd been so selfish lately keeping to herself and not letting him in. He really had become the man he was meant to be. Now he was going to be her man forever until death do them part.

She looked up at him suddenly, "I have to call Steve!"

He made a face and rolled his eyes, "Does everything have to involve him?"

"Well I have to ask him something." She started to let go of him.

He watched her walk to the door, "And what is that?"

"If he'll be my maid of honor."

Tony couldn't help but burst into hysterics as she rushed up the stairs. He'd give the two of them a moment before he would intrude.

* * *

**Yay happy! Poor Steve...lol...Let me know if you want to see the wedding and reception!**

**Thanks for reading!**

**NTK**


	25. Chapter 25

**Dunn dun dun dun...dunnnn dun dun dun!**

**Own nothing!**

* * *

Tony cleared his throat running a finger around his collar. This bowtie felt so tight.

Rhodey put a hand on his shoulder, "Tony relax, everything's going to be fine."

"What if she changes her mind?" He looked at his friend.

"She's not going to change her mind." Rhodey reassured him, "Look seriously, think about it. She has always been there, always, and now you've asked her to be by your side for the rest your lives. She's not getting cold feet."

Tony huffed, "Well when you put it like that…Do you have the ring?"

"What ring?" Rhodey put his hands in his pockets.

"Rhodey!" Tony's eyes got wide.

"Man you have got to calm down, don't worry I have it." He told him smiling never seeing his friend so anxious, "You're surrounded by friends alright…just don't pass out cause Cassidy might actually kill you then."

Tony looked at him then out at the small crowd. Neither he nor Cassidy had any family that was alive so they decided that only a certain few were invited. They had even invited the Avengers, but their super spies said they wouldn't be making it, however they did send a gift. Banner also RSVP'd saying that he was happy for them but felt it necessary that he kept away from crowds for a while. Cassidy insisted that they send invite to Thor but Tony pointed out that it was hard enough for him to get here the first time he wasn't coming just for a few hours.

So it was a small crowd. A few people that Cassidy worked with at S.H.I.E.L.D. and a few people that Tony actually found bearable, but all of them were friends who were happy for them.

Steve looked down the aisle and waving at Tony saying they were ready. He turned back to Cassidy and Pepper and smiled. He had declined being the maid of honor. Something that suited Miss Potts better. He did however agree to give Cassidy away.

Pepper adjusted Cassidy's hair and smiled, "You're so beautiful."

"Thank you Pepper, you've made this day perfect." Cass hugged her friend tightly.

"Oh…don't cry you'll make your make up run." Pepper said as they both choked up a little.

The music started Steve looked at them, "Miss Potts."

"Right right…" Pepper gave Cass her flowers and grabbed her own then turned going down the aisle.

Cassidy stepped up to Steve and smiled at him, "Thank you for doing this."

Steve smiled at her, "You are my best friend, and my pretty much my sister. Of course I would do this."

She smiled and hugged him, "I love you Steve."

He held her, "I love you too Cassidy. Now are you ready?" He put his arm out to her and she took it tightly.

Tony smiled at Pepper as she took her place on the alter, "Miss Potts."

"Mr. Stark." She smiled at him and nodded back to the aisle.

He turned his head and his mouth dropped. He could feel his mouth go dry instantly as he stared at Cass walking toward him. She was beautiful, stunningly beautiful.

"Breath man." Rhodey whispered.

He shut his mouth as Steve stopped and turned giving her a kiss on the forehead and looked at the preacher who began talking to him, "Who gives this woman to this man in marriage?"

Steve looked at Cassidy, "You sure you want to do this? My bikes just outside."

Cassidy giggled, "I'm sure."

Steve smiled and looked back at the preacher, "I do." He watched Tony step forward and Steve handed him her hand, "Remember it's a promise."

"I'll hold you to it." Tony nodded to him and looked at Cassidy helping her forward.

"Dear friends and family, we are gathered here today to witness and celebrate the union of Anthony Stark and Cassandra Voltolini in marriage. Through their time together, they have come to realize that their personal dreams, hopes, and goals are more attainable and more meaningful through the combined effort and mutual support provided in love, commitment, and family; and so they have decided to live together as husband and wife." The preacher smiled at the couple in front of him and continued.

"True marriage is more than joining the bonds of marriage of two persons; it is the union of two hearts. It lives on the love you give each other and never grows old, but thrives on the joy of each new day. Marriage is love. May you always be able to talk things over, to confide in each other, to laugh with each other, to enjoy life together, and to share moments of quiet and peace, when the day is done. May you be blessed with a lifetime of happiness and a home of warmth and understanding."

"Now then do you Anthony, take Cassandra to be your lawfully wedded wife, promising to love and cherish, through joy and sorrow, sickness and health, and whatever challenges you may face, for as long as you both shall live?"

Tony smiled, "I do." He watched Cassidy's face light up when he said those two words. It made his chest swell knowing he made her so happy.

"And do you Cassandra, take Anthony to be your lawfully wedded husband, promising to love and cherish, through joy and sorrow, sickness and health, and whatever challenges you may face, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do." She nodded.

"Now the two will present the rings to each other while saying their own promises to each other."

Tony turned taking the ring from Rhodey and looked at Cassidy holding it, "Cassidy, 20 some years ago you captured my heart by being exactly who you are. The sweetest, most loving, compassionate, and sensitive person I have ever known. You have been my very best friend through the good and the bad. You have been the reason that I smile and you have given comfort beyond measure when I have cried. You have believed in me when no one else would, and you have shown me how to love with passion, purity, and unconditional acceptance."

His smile grew, "I'm not sure a lifetime is long enough to return all you have given to me, but I promise the rest of my days I'll spend by your side. To laugh with you and cry with you, to believe in you and support you. In poverty I promise to do everything to make our love rich, and in wealth to never let our love grow poor. Together we are better than we could ever hope to be alone, and today I give you my love, my trust, and my fidelity forever. I love you Cass." He looked at her crying in front of him as he slid the ring on her finger.

"Oh Tony…" he heard Pepper whisper as she sniffled.

Gaining her composure Cassidy sniffled and looked up at him, "Tony…From the moment our paths crossed, you've surprised me, distracted me, captivated me, and challenged me in a way that no human being ever has. I've fallen in love with you again and again, countless times, without reservation, and I still can't believe that today I get to marry my best friend."

She slid the ring on his finger, "I promise to be true to you, to uplift and support you, to frustrate and challenge you, and to share with you the beautiful moments of life. Someday, if the stars align, I might even let you win an argument. " He smiled staring into her eyes, "No matter what trials we encounter together or how much time has passed, I know that our love will never fade, that we will always find strength in one another, and that we will continue to grow side by side. I believe in the truth of what we are, and I will love you always, with every beat of my heart."

Tony sniffed blinking the tears away smiling at her as the preacher spoke, "By the power vested in me by the State of New York. I know pronounce you man and wife, Tony…you may kiss your bride."

Tony kissed her deeply and passionately the sound of clapping fading away. He wanted to freeze this moment bottle it up and keep it forever. He pulled away looking at her face.

She looked up at him, "I love you." She whispered.

"I love you."

"Ahem…" The preacher intruded smiling, "For the first time, let me introduce Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Stark."

* * *

**Well all that's left is the reception god only knows what chaos could ensue...**

**Thanks for reading and please please review!**

**NTK**


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